Why do the global warming alarmists who fight against coal plants also fight against nuclear power plants?

Question

Isn't nuclear power the obvious solution to get rid of coal pollution?

I live in New Mexico, where the WIPP is located. It is a known scientific fact that nuclear waste can be contained in limestone, so I say, store it where it can be contained. I have no problem with storing it in New Mexico's limestone.

As far as the answerer who stated that nobody wants to live near a nuclear power plant, have you checked the population of Phoenix lately?

Answer 1

You should have heard the out cry against The South Texas Nuclear Project. Running problem free since the 80's now. They were going to build a couple but the libs stopped the project at one plant. Now they didn't cry when the Great State of Texas sold electricity to other states. I guess they just can't stand up and take the blame for the global warming they have caused. THE WHOLE WORLD is suffering!! Maybe the should give up cars, buses, electricity,trains, running water, and processed food as their carbon offset. After all they are the true cause of GLOBAL WARMING!!!! MOMMY,MOMMY the polar bears are drowning
turn of the lights and save him. IDIOTS.

Answer 2

Not all are. Nuclear power opposition is based from the anti-nuclear weapons alarmist crowds. That is entirely a different problem.

You see when the US was busy building and testing the nuclear reactors that could shut down automatically when there where problems back in the 60s and 70s the media was exploiting the news of nuclear disasters in other parts of the world. Following the media's damming of nuclear power, the US government couldn't even find public support for research to make nuclear power safer. The public was convinced that this technology and all related research should go away.

Many of the alarmists of that generation is still around preaching the evils of nuclear power at lectures all over.

Nuclear power has one major problem, nuclear waste disposal. The government has shown itself to be inept at creating longterm safe permanent storage for nuclear waste. The waste at smaller government facilities that were presumed to be safe, actually was leaking into the soil. There is reason to be concerned about this issue.

So there is the whole situation in a nutshell.

Answer 3

G-gal is correct. Some one them would have us living in the stone age.

I have actually heard some environmentalist that were opposed to it, start to come around on it.

There main and legitimate beef is waste disposal. Every nuclear plant in this country has waste material stored on-site.

The Yucca Mountain facility in Nevada is being built to take it, but lawsuits are flying fast and furious against that. Plus it will not be ready for 9 years.

The newest one I have seen and am really excited about is geothermal plants. They drill a hole about 2 miles deep in the ground. The temperature down that far is around 200 degrees F. The water falls down the shaft and then is converted to steam which rises and runs the turbines, just like a nuclear reactor does. If it can work, it is very exciting.

Answer 4

Here is the problem with the global warming extrimists. They don't even realize where CO2 comes from. If they would look up they would see it. It's in the clouds in the form of moisture vapor. Every time we exhale we expel carbon dioxide.

We are greenhouse gasses, and so until they find a way for us to live without breathing, I'm going to keep doing it.

Here is another thing the global warmingites don't realize.

You just can't go out and build a wind farm. There has to be transfer lines to the wind farm, and coal plants can supply that necessity.

People need to study the facts rather than listen to the democrats. (Al Gore started all this global warming, let him figure out what we do without moisture).

Answer 5

this is a very small percentage - most reasonable people understand global warming is not a hoax and nuclear energy is the best way(or only way) to begin solving it.

edit

waste is going to yucca mountain - away from everyone - and there will barely be any waste at all if the US ever switches to closed fuel cycle like france, china, japan, ect. Nuke plants barely give off any waste at all compared to the amount of toxic coal ash produced by coal plants.

the fact is coal plants release more radiation than nuclear plants.

http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev26-34/text/colmain.html

Answer 6

I am not aware of any "alarmists". If you want to begin to be taken seriously, you need to be specific.

Provide examples of this illusory alarmists who "fight" against coal plants and who oppose nuclear power plants.

As far as I know, we have the cost-effective technology to reduce coal CO2 emissions by over 80%, so it's just a question of implementing those technologies and profit margins.

As far as nuclear power goes, nobody wants to live anywhere near a nuclear power plant or any place where its waste is stored (based on precedents), and so it negatively impacts property values dramatically in addition to being far less cost effective in the long term (if done safely) than clean coal technology.

Answer 7

It seems obvious but its not until we figured how to get rid of the waste, just storing it will not work in the long run.

EDIT: There is another way to get a large amount of energy, without the risk of pollution, from space. Its more feasible but lets see. Nuclear is fine if they can get rid/process the waste safely.

Answer 8

Because they'd prefer a 0 output solution like solar or hydro electric.

Most greenies aren't anti-coal, they are pro-environment, which means that they want the least polluting source and since nuclear outputs some waste then many find it unacceptable.

Many greenies are also loons.

Answer 9

Free Radical hit the nail on the head. Now, if stupid Bush only would put a few billion dollars of federal money toward making solar power for residential homes more affordable instead of the pockets of Exxon's CEO, we'd see some improvement. Getting Bush and the Repubelickings away from oil would be like getting a kid away from a candy store though.

eelfins- control the economy with fear, kind of like Bush does? OMG we're running out of oil, better get it while you can!!! in order to drive up his profits.

Answer 10

They don't. Quite a large number of people who are GW activists are in favor of nuclear power as well as a plausible solution. Stewart Brand and the Whole Earth Catalog veterans are but one example.

So your premise is a mistaken one in this case.