Dismantling of the cores is still scheduled for 2021, but based on recent News, this is questionable. Cleanup is estimated at $35 Billion, and still many can't return to their home. If a similar accident happened in the US, it would be devastating to our society and our economy, rendering large tracts of land in some of our most populated areas of our country uninhabitable, and closing roadways and Interstate Highways. https://www.usnews.com/news/news/ar...cleanup-chief-urges-better-use-of-probe-robot Despite the incomplete probe missions, officials have said they want to stick to their schedule to determine the removal methods this summer and start work in 2021. Earlier probes have suggested worse-than-anticipated challenges for the plant's cleanup, which is expected to take decades. During the Unit 2 probe in early February, the "scorpion" robot crawler stalled after its total radiation exposure reached its limit in two hours, one-fifth of what was anticipated.
But nuke power does not emit C02 so it's green energy and far preferable to fossil fuel. I'd rather glow in the dark than cook in an oven.
I prefer renewables with pumped water storage (hydroelectricity). Barring a US Nuclear Power Plant accident, there is still the issue of wastes. there is still no concensus worldwide, on what should be done with high level radioactive wastes. I believe it is very immoral of us to leave wastes with half-lives of hundreds of thousands of years, for future generations to contend with. I'm sure, that 200/300/1000 years from now, people will be saying - "What were they thinking?", when referring to our 50-year time slice of human history.
No it wasn't. That's actually a common argument for nuclear energy, and publicized by the industry. Actually, I estimate that there are almost as many liberals as conservatives that adopt a pro-nuclear stance.
Fukushima isn't worse than thought. They sent a robot to part of the core they hadn't gone to before, and it found very high radiation levels. That's all. Nothing there has changed. However, that doesn't mean nuclear power is a good solution. Having run reactors myself, I'm quite fond of the technology. I also bow to economic reality. Building safe reactors can't be done in an economically feasible manner. No, new reactor technology won't change that. New miracle reactors are always supposedly just around the corner, but they never materialize, and they're just nuclear vaporware. So keep running the old nuclear plants, as the baseline power is needed. But for new power, renewable energy sources are much more cost effective.
I admire your position, and I agree with your position. The article did say the following, which seems to indicate that they are underestimating the degree of radiation. During the Unit 2 probe in early February, the "scorpion" robot crawler stalled after its total radiation exposure reached its limit in two hours, one-fifth of what was anticipated.
