nuclear power

["DAVE GILMORE" <DGILMORE@navajo.astate.edu>]

This week in my General Biology class, we were covering the effect of 
humans on the environment.  Taking the textbook as a starting point, 
I decided to try getting a discussion going on nuclear power.  
Question #1, who's in favor of nuclear power? One student out of a 
class of about 40 (showing up on this day) raised his hand.  Question 
#2, if not, why not?  I was told that there is a fear of a meltdown.  
My opinion was that a modern, well run power station has lots of 
safeguards, whereupon I was asked "who monitors them?"  Clearly a 
case of distrust of the industry AND those who police it.  Since so 
many of you RADSAFErs are members of the industry, it's obvious to me 
that you're all nice people who do your jobs well and don't 
particularly want to blow yourselves up; students haven't had the 
same opportunity to "meet" you.
    The other major objection I heard was that nuclear power 
generates "tons and tons" of toxic waste.  I'll admit that the 
discussion on RADSAFE hasn't dealt too deeply with the perceived 
problems of nuclear waste disposal.  Could someone give me a figure 
for the quantity and quality of waste generated by the nuclear power 
industry?  I didn't think it was "tons and tons", but I figure you 
can tell me.
    I did expose them to some of the arguments for nuclear power vs. 
burning coal, and the idea that as tax payers and consumers that they 
are spending perhaps more money than they ought to be because of 
radiation paranoia.  I guess all we can hope for is that the next 
generation _thinks_ about things.

David F. Gilmore,
Assistant Professor of          0  0
Environmental Biology            __    "have a day"
Arkansas State University