Germany Scraped Nuclear Power for Coal. Should Other Countries Do The Same?
Dr Jello asked:
Germany is phasing out nuclear power because of environmental concerns.
Germany is phasing out nuclear power because of environmental concerns.
To replace this energy, the German government is approving new coal fired power plants.
Should other countries follow Germany’s example and replace nuclear power with coal?
I don’t think so.
Uranium mining may be destructive, but so is coal mining. Nuclear reactors produce less waste than coal reactors, they release less air pollution and they produce far less CO2.
Radiation is a problem, but IMO it is overrated and has relatively low risks (there were fewer direct deaths from Chernobyl than from some exploding oil rigs. Also, air pollution kills millions; more than are killed by radiation (Source; WHO). With good legislation, nuclear power is a sensible stepping stone to a cleaner tomorrow.
Yes. In terms of human health, a little dust and pneumoconiosis (coal miners’ lung) are preferable to radiation sickness from unstored nuclear waste, headaches from the unstored waste accumulation, and nuclear fires flaring up in unsafe facilities.
No, coal is a finite resource. Yes you can produce coal, but it comes at a cost. Nuclear energy produces far more energy for a fraction of the pollution to the environment. Nuclear is the way to go. The US is trying to re-open the nuclear power production.
Funny that the environmentalist actually got what they seeked.