The Nuclear Waste Problem
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2. Thanny commented 6 years ago
There's a lot wrong with this. First, Yucca Mountain has been around for quite some time, and it's only a matter of cutting through political red tape to make it an active long term facility. So the site described in the video is far from the first.
Second, radiation isn't some mysterious substance that leaks into the surroundings when given an opening. Radiation (which, in common parlance, refers specifically to ionizing radiation) is either particle emissions or gamma ray emissions. It is not contagious. If something is irradiated, it does not become radioactive.
Third, you cannot compare ancient civilizations to today's civilization. The idea that there will be some future population that doesn't know about long term nuclear storage is all but absurd. Even if something really catastrophic did happen, all records were obliterated, and future civilizations somehow didn't have the ability to detect radiation, opening a long term storage facility would not mean contaminating the surroundings. Only those who came into direct proximity of the nuclear waste would be affected.
Building more safeguards into nuclear fission plants is certainly worth doing, but scare-mongering isn't.
Second, radiation isn't some mysterious substance that leaks into the surroundings when given an opening. Radiation (which, in common parlance, refers specifically to ionizing radiation) is either particle emissions or gamma ray emissions. It is not contagious. If something is irradiated, it does not become radioactive.
Third, you cannot compare ancient civilizations to today's civilization. The idea that there will be some future population that doesn't know about long term nuclear storage is all but absurd. Even if something really catastrophic did happen, all records were obliterated, and future civilizations somehow didn't have the ability to detect radiation, opening a long term storage facility would not mean contaminating the surroundings. Only those who came into direct proximity of the nuclear waste would be affected.
Building more safeguards into nuclear fission plants is certainly worth doing, but scare-mongering isn't.
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3. gadgetfreak commented 6 years ago
I recommend the film "Into Eternity: A Film for the Future (2010)". Its all about the facility ment in this clip (Onkalo) with very interesting facts and interviews regarding radiation and problems regarding the transfer of the knowledge!
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4. ringmaster commented 6 years ago
Tomorrow's knowledge and technology may be able to handle what we today consider waste and harmful, useless bi products. And yes, in a world without humans or other greedy civilizations, this will never be an issue.
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6. torbengb commented 6 years ago
For more information about how to mark a site "for eternity", check out this Damn-Interesting article and its sources:
https://www.damninteresting.com/this-place-is-not-a-place-of-honor/
and especially the central paper about it: http://www.wipp.energy.gov/picsprog/articles/wipp%20exhibit%20message%20to%2012,000%20a_d.htm
https://www.damninteresting.com/this-place-is-not-a-place-of-honor/
and especially the central paper about it: http://www.wipp.energy.gov/picsprog/articles/wipp%20exhibit%20message%20to%2012,000%20a_d.htm
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7. thundersnow commented 6 years ago
Finland is just amazing!....But even this is still not the best solution, which would be a sustainable source of energy.
+2 1. Scotsman50 commented 6 years ago