Nuclear energy is virtually emission-free and the waste that comes from nuclear plants is so small in volume that it can be safely disposed of. Its widespread use has the ability to combat the climate crisis the oil- and coal-based energy producers are exacerbating. According to Time, nuclear energy is the horse we should bet on in the race to clean up the planet before it’s too late.
The nuclear horse, however, has essentially been disqualified from the race. The word nuclear already holds a negative connotation that incites fear of radiation poisoning and catastrophic meltdown. 2011 brought the final blow to nuclear energy’s ability to compete with any other source of energy—green or not—when a tsunami caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant flooded the reactors’ cooling mechanisms, inciting a four-day meltdown.
Though there were no direct fatalities caused by acute radiation poisoning, many people were displaced, and the incident is known as the worst nuclear meltdown since Chernobyl. These meltdowns along with Three Mile Island have become scapegoats of fear-mongering that have allowed natural gas lobbyists and climate change deniers and antagonists to slow the nuclear energy’s development.
“Those were three grave accidents, yes, but accidents in any industry, whether nuclear, aviation or others, lead also to new, safer designs and dedication to safety culture,” writes Hans Blix for Time Magazine. “Plane crashes have not stopped us from flying, because most people know it is an effective means of traveling. They know that risks are rarely zero but also that safety is very high. We must arrive at a similar acceptance of nuclear power.”
While the US falls behind, China and India have actually been expanding their partnership with nuclear power and other green energy options. But oil and gas corporations have turned the energy industry America a more money-hued shade green.
And it is already costing us and our planet. Burning coal results in 979 tons of carbon dioxide per gigawatt hour to enter the atmosphere. Gas results in 550 tons. Nuclear power? Only 32 tons. Greenhouse gases like CO2 and other toxins not only directly cause serious health problems, they are the key component in the climate crisis that involves rapidly rising sea levels, increasing amounts of extreme weather events, and global warming.
But something about the scarce “nuclear meltdown” gets people worked up about energy.
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