there are more than 430 reactors currently in operation, unfortunately
the Kyoto treaty classifies nuclear as emission free. They may be
emission free, but what happens to the toxic waste they have created.
With high level radioactive waste the half life may be longer than
100,000 years. Do you really think that the build up of this waste
won't become a problem in the future? Eventually we will run out
of room to store these deadly chemicals, and surely some of the
containers will fail within 100,000 years, no matter what we're
told by nuclear supporters.
What makes nuclear power such a bad idea, is not just
the waste it produces, as environmentally deadly as it is, but the
fact that these toxic power plants are absolutely unnecessary. Governments
may say otherwise, but if they would invest as much money in windmill
farms, hydro power and solar energy fields, they would be able to
replace all the power that these poisonous plants could ever supply.
The Chernobyl accident in 1986 was the result of a
flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained
personnel and without proper regard for safety. The resulting steam
explosion and fire released at least five percent of the radioactive
reactor core into the atmosphere and downwind. 28 people died within
four months from radiation or thermal burns, 19 have subsequently
died, and there have been around nine deaths from thyroid cancer
apparently due to the accident: total 56 fatalities as of 2004.
This information is taken directly from the Uranium
Information Centre. Now who says that this can't happen again,
and what if it's an even larger disaster next time? Can the governments
of the world promise us an absolute guarantee that this can never
happen again under any circumstances. No, of course they can't,
anything can happen in our uncertain future. How then can it possibly
be worth the risk? It isn't, so don't believe the hype, and don't
back nuclear power for any reason, no matter what they tell you.
Are we unclear about nuclear energy? No way, we know
it's a ticking time bomb that has to be avoided at all costs. Nuclear
power plants are just an easy way out, and the easy way out always
has it's consequences. There are better ways, and we have to convince
our easy fix, short term solution governments that it's just not
worth our lives when there are many other, better alternatives out
Policy Research Institute - Find out why nuclear power is not