Reply #6: Compared to what? [View All]

[NNadir]

This assertion is nonsense. The immorality of various energy sources, in terms of moral tragedy, is measurable.

It can be found here, for instance, as I frequently point out: http://www.externe.info/expoltec.pdf

Millions of people die each year from fossil fuel and other combustion based activities, including millions who died last year. The number of people who have died from nuclear power in the last year is essentially zero. If there is some moral lesson in this, you are interpreting it very, very, very, very strangely.

Nuclear power saves lives, millions of them each year.

I have insisted for many decades that the demonetization of nuclear power is not only irrational, but it is, in fact, one of the most immoral quests of which I have ever heard. It seems that the people who focus on the alleged immorality of nuclear power have never heard of deaths from air pollution, or deaths from agricultural collapse etc.

You constantly evoke the importance of water - and by the way I appreciate that very much. I think you are right. The threat to our water is enormous. I would think that you would have a passing acquaintance with the events that destroyed 75 miles of Big Sandy River in Kentucky. If not you should look it up.

Here's a picture of the river to help you:



I would add that the largest threat to our water comes from the disappearance of our glaciers. The glaciers are not disappearing because of the nuclear power industry, which is fast becoming the new world standard.

In order to demonetize nuclear energy, people who are not very aware of energy issues attempt to view nuclear energy in isolation from its alternatives. They insist that only nuclear must be perfect to be allowed. In the meantime they give a pass to many other types of operations all of which are more dangerous.

Nuclear power does not have to be perfect to be better than all of its alternatives. It only needs to be better than all of its alternatives. It is. It is regrettable that one must state such obvious tautologies to get it through peoples thick heads, but it seems that is how it is.