UK Sticks With Nuclear Power

Coisiche writes "Despite recent events in Japan and the certain public outcry that it will generate, the UK government proposes to build new nuclear power stations. Well, earthquakes and tsunamis are very rare here."

Comments

Good!

[Anonymous Coward]

Good!

Obvious

[Anonymous Coward]

The UK, like many countries, has committed to a substantial drop in CO2 emissions. Nuclear is obviously going to have to be a major component in that.

Re:Obvious

[jcr]

Had a look at a topographical map of Norway lately? Now, compare it to one of the UK.

Hydro power doesn't work everywhere in the world.

-jcr

Re:Obvious

[geckipede]

Norway has less than a tenth the population of the UK, approximately similar land area, and a far more significant snowmelt contribution to their precipitation. Hydro works for them in a way that it wouldn't for us.

The UK is committing to heavy use of renewable power in the form of wind turbines, but we are a small island with a huge power demand, we need to follow every avenue that we reasonably can do in power generation.

Thorium anyone?

[Anonymous Coward]

With the recent shit storm of FUD out there concerning nuclear power, I am shocked that there isn't a more vocal promotion of building/funding/using thorium salt reactors by the "scientific community". Although no technology is 100% safe, this seems to be the best middle ground when it comes to generating energy while not completely ruining the environment.

Re:Not a problem

[TheRaven64]

The UK's terrorism problem dropped significantly after September, 2001. Apparently something happened in the USA around then that stopped it being fashionable for people in New York to send money to fund terrorism. With their main supply of funding cut off, there was a much bigger incentive for them to reach a negotiated settlement.

Congratulations, UK!

[Maimun]

Nuclear power is unavoidable if we want to free ourselves from the oil&gas economy (because it makes us dependent on the Arabs, Iran, and Russia, and that is not a good thing). The windmills and solar panels are not an option. The controlled nuclear synthesis is far far away in time. For the near and not so near future, the nuclear fission is the way.

Re:Not a problem

[Computershack]

This is an organization that build napalm-like incendiary bombs and set them off in hotels, restaurants and pubs where civilians gathered in large numbers. I don't see why you think they would hesitate to attack a nuclear power station or other such facility.

I served in the British Army. When we started using warfare tactics such as full sized all out ambushes rather than just patrolling and playing at being targets, all of a sudden this supposed Irish army who had declared war against the UK decided that this wasn't fair when we went to war footing in some areas instead of policing and complained to the European Courts that we were being too heavy handed!! Err, who was it who said they were an army at war with the UK? The IRA attacked soft targets. Nuclear powerstations along with gas storage facilities are well guarded by armed guards.

Re:But what about the waste?

[Arlet]

Nice, you got modded insightful for saying plant food is harmful

And rightly so. The fact that something has useful properties doesn't mean it isn't harmful in other places. Plants also need water, and we still consider floods to be harmful.

The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.