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Nuclear Weapons Proliferation is the biggest risk with Integral Fast Reactors

Why James Hansen is wrong on nuclear power | Links   April 8, 2010 Hansen Nuclear Power ….. Renfrey’s article understates the WMD proliferation risks associated with integral fast reactors (IFRs). The plutonium/waste mixture from IFRs could be processed in a conventional reprocessing plant without too much trouble, especially since proliferators would take simple steps (reducing the irradiation time) to maximise the proportion of plutonium-239 and to reduce the difficulty and hazards of transporting and processing the material.

Alternatively, uranium or depleted uranium targets or a U/DU blanket surrounding the reactor could be irradiated and extracted for reprocessing and plutonium separation.So the fundamental problem with IFRs isn’t the timeframe – we need short-, medium- and long-term alternatives to fossil fuels – but the WMD risks.

More info:* FoE webpagehttp://www.foe.org.au/anti-nuclear/issues/nfc/power-weapons/g4nw* US Office of Technology report:http://tiny.cc/huzsq* Recent opinion piece by Senator Scott Ludlam challenging Hansen on nuclear power:www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/nuclear-does-not-have-the-…

Why James Hansen is wrong on nuclear power | Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal

April 9, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, weapons and war | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium