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Why is everyone scared of Nuclear Power?

Why is the US (many people) afraid of building nuclear power plants to drastically reduce our energy source from coal and oil?

Europe is building several new plants and France (so called the great country) gets 80% of their energy from nuclear compared to 20% in the US.

Don't give me something that happened 20 yrs ago, technology and safety has changed dramatically since than.

Update:

No one got hurt at the 3 Mile Island accident. (happened over 25 yrs ago) we have over 50 nuclear plants in 31 states have you heard of any incident that has happened in the last 20 yrs. Yes, I have heard of Chernobyl, again give me something current.

http://library.thinkquest.org/17940/texts/nuclear_...

Update 2:

Since 2000 37 people have died in Coal Mining accidents (188 since 1980). Burning coal produces emissions such as Sulfur, Nitrogen Oxide, and Mercury talk about dirty. Wind Turbines would help but never make enough energy to help make a dramatic difference.

6 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Because of safety issues for one. Possible terrorist threats! And the general public does not want to be on guard regarding the possibility of something happening. Not to talk about the past, but look at 3 mile island!

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Ok, here's something current. Terrorists. Don't think they'd be as interested in targeting a solar energy plant or wind turbine. And what about the nuclear waste. How to store it, where to put it and all those safety issues.

    I agree that we need to find alternative sources of energy and reduce if not eliminate our need for foreign oil and that technology and safety has changed in the last 20 years but an "oops" at a nuclear power plant is still a mighty big oops that has incredible long term affects.

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    it rather is the main secure and maximum value-useful potential to produce potential we at the instant have obtainable. many countries around the globe use nuclear potential and aside from Cherynobl, there have been no failures. We have already got a great facility to save nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain. it rather is totally maintain and the with the aid of-product is saved so accurately that in spite of if the storage containers are in a practice accident for the period of transportation to Yucca Mountain, the containers won't wreck. we could consistently have been development nuclear reactors during the previous few an prolonged time, yet concern and incorrect information have held back get entry to to much less costly and risk-free potential. on an analogous time as we are dropping time development multi-million greenback image voltaic grids that may basically serve some thousand residences, a in addition priced nuclear plant would serve a minimum of twenty situations as many human beings.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    For the same reason they have to delete N from NMRI. Changing it to MRI. The word 'nuclear' just freak people out.

    But there are legitimate concerns over nuclear waste. Some feel that they haven't completely solved engineering problems storing nuclear waste that can last really long time and don't want to start piling whole bunch of nuclear waste before everybody feel satisfied with ways we store nuclear waste.

    And there is some threat for terror attack. Securing radio active materials, any enriched plutonium...etc. Just not that long ago a dude in Georgia(the country) got caught in underground operation trying to smuggle weapons grade plutonium in his coat pocket.

    I don't think it's Green Peace of Sierra Club that is blocking nuclear power plants. It's stuff like storage problems and security issues I think.

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    you say that no one got hurt in 3 mile but what you don't know is

    there was a nuclear rain cloud that had spread half way across u.s. and it did leave deposits of hazardous material.

    I and three of my friends worked when it was raining out and

    we found out we had been working in this rain cloud. three of

    my friends have passed from strange deseases and i had to have my liver transplanted and I suffer from skin disorders.

    wind power and coal plants are the way to go on power.

    for are kids sake we need to get real about there future.

    WE have enough coal reserve to last thousands of years.

    don

  • 1 decade ago

    because if something goes wrong it could destroy a huge area around it? ever heard of chernobyl?

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