10 reasons why the global nuclear industry is in crisis – theme for May 2015

The global nuclear industry is sick, indeed, it is in palliative care. And here are 10 good reasons why:

1. Gloom overlies the nuclear lobby, fear of this question: the next nuclear catastrophe. Not IF it will happen, but WHEN and WHERE?

2. Aging, dangerous nuclear reactors that are too costly to make safe. .

3. “New nuclear” is a joke. The nuclear lobby will boast of so many “planned”, “proposed” reactors. But new ones actually being built? – just two and a half duds.

4 Discord and dissension in the nuclear camp. Nuclear countries cannot afford new reactors, so desperately compete to sell them to other countries.

Meanwhile nuclear companies battle it out to market their particular new gee-whiz nuclear reactor version.

5. Climate change affects nuclear reactors.

6. Nuclear weapons now out-dated. 21st Century conflict is all about smaller, targeted
weapons, like the USA’s assassination drones. Pride and status are now the only motives for having nuclear weapons.

7. Decline in electricity use

8 Renewable energy, both centralised and small scale, is fast being developed, and widely popular (unlike nuclear).

9. Danger – whatever kind of nuclear facility – there is always the danger of accident or terrorism – they are a target for terrorists.

10 Public opinion. Worldwide – people just don’t like nuclear power.

April 23, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Christina's themes

4 Comments »

Nuclear is too expensive. (Look at Hinckley C.)
No one knows what to do with the waste. It will remain dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years.
Historically, for every 45 nuclear plants that went online producing power for the grid, there has been one meltdown. That is not safe.
Renewables put power generation into the hands of ordinary people, and at prices well below the cost of nuclear.
Nuclear plants require costly decommissioning.
Nuclear power leaves the burden of waste to a generation of people who did not benefit from the power the fuel made.
Nuclear power can be used to make nuclear bombs.
Nuclear power can be used to terrorize neighbors, even in the absence of bomb.
Nuclear plants require constant electricity from outside to keep equipment running in the event of a grid failure. If the grid is not restored before the diesel for backup generators runs out, there will be trouble.
Nuclear power plants can be important targets in a war, making destruction much worse than it would otherwise be.

Comment by geoharvey | May 26, 2015 | Reply
- Thank you. I seem to have failed to acknowledge where I got those 10 reasons from. Now I forget – I would apologise to whomsoever wrote the original
  
  Comment by Christina MacPherson | May 27, 2015 | Reply
  - No matter what ten you choose, There are always ten more.
    
    Comment by geoharvey | May 28, 2015
  - and as Lily Tomlin said “no matter how cynical you become, you can never keep up”
    
    Comment by Christina MacPherson | May 29, 2015