Does the United States Need More Nuclear Power?

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The problem with the current reactors is their reliance on Uranium. Thorium reactors are in tested and in existence, do not produce the same quantities of dangerous weapons materials and can be used widely for peaceful activities.
Thorium is also much more naturally abundant than Uranium. See Reference (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_elements_in_Earth's_crust)
It is also available in very friendly countries (http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf62.html).
Nuclear fuel is not bad, but it needs to have better options. The side-affects of nuclear power are problematic. Much needs to be done to reduce the risk of weapons proliferation and to address the hazards of nuclear power in general. If these can be addressed reasonably through alternative sources of nuclear power so much the better.

Plebus of VA 9:46PM March 22, 2011

Has been used (since 57 year) for develop Deuterium fusion reactors, we would have now much cheaper electricity, with much less risks, and with Lithium production for electrical cars!
But the governments wanted Plutonium for nuclear bombs, not lithim, and so the Uranium fisson technology was developed, very dangerous.
Even the cheaper Thorium fission technology, creating much less garbage, has only be developed in India, and it takes 20 years until such a technology becomes commercial...
Sorry: CERN+FERMILAB have wasted for humanity 57 years and a trillion $!

Jean-Francois Morf, Charrat, Switzerland 5:39PM March 22, 2011

1) because they are brittle after 40 years of intense neutron radiations
2) because they have not 2 separate circuits of steam (radioactive/non radioactive)
3) so many parts are obsolete and kaput after 40 years
4) even the conception is obsolete after 40 years
5) the engineers that thought the reactor are mostly dead
6) So many modifications has been made in 40 years that no scheme is complete
7) the geeks that control the reactor don't know why it work after 40 years
8) the private company will make profit, but it's difficult with so little power
9) so the private company cheat with the security verifications
10) would you continue to use an IBM 1970 unix computer with Snow Leopard 2011?

Jean-Francois Morf, Charrat, Switzerland 5:22PM March 22, 2011

Of course we need more nuclear power! Ignorant people like Jimmy carter and his ilk got us off track years ago with his scare mongering lies! Nuclear power equals real, good paying jobs to build and operate them, along with giving us clean cheap power that this country needs.

Kerry of CA 1:43AM August 17, 2010

Nuclear power is not "clean" the waste produced is probably the worst pollutant imaginable... and we don't know what to do about it. If and when we do figure out what to do with nuclear waste it will likely be cost prohibitive.
As for the safety of nuclear power plants, I believe we do have that problem sufficiently in hand.
I say yes to nuclear power... once the problems have been solved.

Sleeping Troll of FL 9:28PM July 20, 2010

I live in OC california and have a nuclear power plant a few miles away and guess what, it is a LOT better than living next to a coal power plant. People who are afraid of nuclear know nothing about it. Coal is causing you much more harm every day.
http://www.cubecheck.com

Scott of CA 8:41PM July 20, 2010

I live in OC california and have a nuclear power plant a few miles away and guess what, it is a LOT better than living next to a coal power plant. People who are afraid of nuclear know nothing about it. Coal is causing you much more harm every day.
http://www.cubecheck.com

Scott of CA 8:40PM July 20, 2010

When did this country decide that whatever is the cheapest solution is the best? I guess we can save us all some money and just live in grass huts and ditch our hospitals and other infrastructures and advances that cost money.
Modern nuclear plants EAT waste from older plants. They actually USE the stuff that the old plants put out. They are among the cleanest, safest plants available to us today and product a lot of energy.
--
http://www.cubecheck.com

Scott of CA 8:38PM July 20, 2010

How many of those who favor nuclear power are willing to have a interim nuclear waste storage site, a geological repository, a nuclear fule reprocessing plant or a nuclear reactor in their neighborhood?

Susanne E. Vandenbosch of WA 1:22PM July 20, 2010

Wow 90 % of your readers say yes we need more nuclear power. Thats an overwhelming opinion if there ever was one. Lets see, nuclear power is safe, abundant if we choose to build it,cheap, and does not require our dependance on foreign countries that hate us, while taking our aid money and using it against us. This is a no brainer.

jeff of CO 2:48PM July 19, 2010