Nuclear Energy/Uranium Mining

I am currently learning about nuclear energy in science and the amount of risks, damage to people and environment and diseases caused by it is incredible. Things like during mining, acid is pumped into the ground and that soil after that is contaminated and scientists do not know how to reverse it. We are supposed to look after the environment now, not ruin it! Also, nuclear waste needs to be stored for hundreds of years so as to not harm the environment. I think that the storage is bound to wear away or break down before its time is due - then what will happen?

There are so many alternative energy sources like solar, wind etc. which does not harm the envionment at all.

There was a nuclear power plant disaster in Ukraine a while back when it completely exploded, and it is still dangerous to even go to the site without wearing protective clothing and face masks - and it was like 30 years ago!

What are your views about this?

The safety precautions taken on modern nuclear plants, as I understand them, are in fact about as safe as possible. Each room is thick concrete, lined with lead, all encased in a building that is lined with lead, as I recall. Also as Uranium uses alpha radiation, it is very safe for the workers, and general populace as a whole, unless there is an explosion of some form.

Honestly, I can't see another disaster like chernobyl happening again. That was in the USSR, which is hardly the epitome of efficiency, safety and reliability.

France relies heavily on Nuclear Power, according to Wikipedia, 79% of it's power is Nuclear. It is also the largest net exporter of power in the world, and has some of the lowest electricity prices in Europe.

It makes sense to use it, it slashes reliance on oil, is completely clean in terms of greenhouse gases and overall cuts costs for the consumer.

Unfortunately, people are unable to get over the idea of a disaster, and rightly so, for the effects would truly be disastrous.

I'm not familiar with the mining process, so I won't comment on it. But as I understand the correct disposal process includes burying the waste in a lead lined glass box, several miles underground. Which is far more protection then needed for alpha radiation.

My arguments against the other forms of "renewable" energy is mere geography. Solar power needs the sun, wind power needs wind, wave power needs the sea. Good where they can be used, but they can't be a universal solution.

i personally believe nuclear power is the future, people can rave on and on about solar and wind, but the simple fact is those energy sources can only compliment coal burning and will never be able to replace it.

sir_pleb has basically summarised my whole view point but i will say this
u commented that the damage that the nuclaer energy could cause to the environment, as well the damage incured during mining would be a great problem, i would like to point that all these risks can also be directly applied to coal burning as well, as the burning of coal also pumps dangerous pollutants in to the environment and is also mined from the ground.

radioactive waste loses most of its dangerous radiation in the first 5 years and nuclear power plants are also extremely safe these days. hell u could crash a plane in to a reactor and not blow it up.
+ radioactive products from reactors are used everyday in medicine and engineering so why is using it for energy such a problem?

If we don't start building and using reactors soon, when we run out of coal ( which will prob happen soon) we will all be screwed.

well if its adding more damage to the enviroment, then at this rate we have no future
if we dont quit now, then we'll have no one to blame but us, and we may not even be here to blame ourselves! so i think we should find an alternative

People have pretty much already said most of the facts, but I think nuclear is the future.

It's really unfortunate how eveyone has this Simpsons style image of glowing green goo and three-eyed-fish, and they think it's really dirty, when they don't really know any of the facts, it's just the idea that's been put in our heads somehow.

Personally, I think there really is no other option. Coal is running out, and solar/wind are just too expensive. I mean, maybe in the future we can develop a cheaper way of generating power using those means, but for now, I think we need to switch to nuclear and stop whining and being scared; we won't even notice the difference.

They have heaps of protection at the reactor but when it is being mined is where it is dangerous. Radon gas in underground uranium mines is very harmful. Also the land is sometimes permanently tainted after it is mined. Then it uses heaps of energy in enriching the uranium and then there is transport. And where is this extra energy coming from? Probably fossil fuels and non renewable energy sources. To me it is not as green as it is said to be.

As I said before, I've not done any research into the mining process. However, you seem to be describing a form of shaft mining. I'm sure that other techniques such as an open pit mine would have far less problems with radon gas, or maybe ensuring correct ventilation and such.

It must be mentioned that Nuclear Power is far more efficient, particularly in comparison to coal, which is only about 30% efficient or so. (That figure is from the top of my head, so may be out by 5-10% each way.)

Realistically, the true "clean" alternative is hydrogen. However, I'm not as well versed in the science involved. It mainly seems to be a cyclical system, you take hydrogen from water, burn it, and it comes back as water.

It's also worth noting that there is a possibility of using Hydrogen, instead of uranium, in producing Nuclear Power.

I believe that Nuclear energy is the way to go! Did you know that 60,000 barrels of oil has the equalvilant amount of energy as a handful of uraniam? The fossil fuels are just making the planet hotter and hotter why wouldn't you go Nuclear?