Re: nuclear power

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

A large nuclear power plant produces about 30 tons per year of spent 
fuel. The actual radioactive waste is less than 1 ton. The weight of the 
spent fuel is about a million times less than the harmful wastes from a 
coal burning plant, and the total toxicity is far less. If you want 
actual numbers on these, I can supply them.

Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245
Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu


On Wed, 3 Apr 1996, DAVE GILMORE wrote:

> 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