We Are the Threat: Reflections on Near-Term Human Extinction

Re:We Are the Threat: Reflections on Near-Term Human Extinction by tehsauce on Tuesday February 20, 2018 @02:51AM (#16418550)

Nuclear power is actually safer (joules generated per deaths caused) than fossil fuel power generation. That's with old fashioned reactors, and if you include deaths caused by fossil fuel pollution the issue of safety is far from arguable.

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Re:We Are the Threat: Reflections on Near-Term Human Extinction by newnewpdro on Tuesday February 20, 2018 @03:36AM (#16418750)

That's obviously unprovable rhetoric, why are you spewing it?

We have no reliably accurate data on deaths and illnesses caused by the nuclear power industry. From the mining to the waste disposal, and the plant operation - they all have very significant mishaps putting cancer-causing radioactive materials into the environment where it circulates for generations. There is no way you can honestly make such a statement because we have no way of knowing how many of the people dead from e.g. thyroid cancer are the result of nuclear energy related activities.

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Re:We Are the Threat: Reflections on Near-Term Human Extinction by rimliu on Tuesday February 20, 2018 @11:15AM (#16421404)

Nuclear power plants do not emit radiation inser normal operation. Coal power plants do.

Also: https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/06/update-of-death-per-te...

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Re:We Are the Threat: Reflections on Near-Term Human Extinction by newnewpdro on Tuesday February 20, 2018 @12:29PM (#16422086)

Coal is not _the_ alternative.

I strongly encourage you to watch [1]. Nuclear is such a disaster it's mind-boggling that anyone would still argue in favor of it today over the alternatives.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWZIGHv3khE

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Re:We Are the Threat: Reflections on Near-Term Human Extinction by roenxi on Tuesday February 20, 2018 @04:42AM (#16419015)

In particular, the idea we have a safety-first culture is still a fair way off.

If motor vehicles were held to the safety standards of nuclear power, we would all be riding bicycles.

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Re:We Are the Threat: Reflections on Near-Term Human Extinction by drjesusphd on Tuesday February 20, 2018 @05:46AM (#16419315)

Deaths per joule doesn't account for the safety issues if nuclear power were more widespread. The deaths caused by weapon proliferation and the long-term ecological impact of more nuclear accidents doesn't scale linearly. We can handle an accident every decade or so. But if nuclear power replaces fossil fuels, we're looking at closer to one every year. It's unknown what the long-term consequences of that are.

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Re:We Are the Threat: Reflections on Near-Term Human Extinction by yesenadam on Tuesday February 20, 2018 @02:58AM (#16418579)

I guess you don't have very accurate figures on the deaths caused by existing nuclear waste in the future either.

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Re:We Are the Threat: Reflections on Near-Term Human Extinction by astrodust on Tuesday February 20, 2018 @08:53PM (#16426184)

Nuclear waste gets safer over time, so the risk diminishes.

Coal is a problem today.

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