DISQUS

sahasrz · 11 months ago

Can you explain a bit more about the graph i.e
units
measurments
stuff!!!!

sahasrz · 11 months ago

where did u get the graph from?????

alistairpott · 11 months ago

This graph comes from one of the articles that I referenced in the blog. This one. Unfortunately I see that it is now behind a pay-wall.

Anyway, the units are actually included on the graph just under the sub-title (Grams of carbon equivalent per kWh). Basically, how much carbon is emitted per unit of electricity generated.

Sandi Heatrs · 9 months ago

Can you explain me about the advantages and disadvatages of nuclear power.

alistairpott · 9 months ago

That’s a pretty open question Sandi! But also a good question so I’ll give a very brief answer...

Advantages:
- No greenhouse gases are emitted (practically no emissions)!
- Over the lifetime of a nuclear power plant the cost of generating electricity is very low
- The technology exists already and is remarkably safe
- Nuclear power generation is consistent. You don’t rely on the sun or the wind.

Disadvantages:
- Nuclear power generation depends on fuels like Uranium which will eventually run out. That said, we have enough of these fuels (and we can improve their usage efficiency) to last a very long time.
- Generating nuclear power generates radioactive waste that must be carefully and expensively dealt with. Compared to the negative effects of other power generation (including solar and to a certain extent wind) a pile of radioactive material that must be carefully handled is nothing.
- Building a nuclear power plant is very expensive. That means that it takes time before you make a profit on a new nuclear power plant. But over time nuclear power generation is actually cheap.

Lance Headrick · 7 months ago

I have to disagree with the "nuclear power being inexpensive". If we ever stop using it we will still have to take care of the spent fuel and contaminated equipment for 20,000 years. That will be expensive. The risk that the ever increasing spent fuel contaminates the mass public is even worst and could not be priced.

alistairpott · 7 months ago

I never stated that nuclear power is inexpensive. I did state that over the lifetime of a nuclear plant power generation is relatively expensive. That is a fact.

Spent fuel is indeed a problem and possibly an expensive one. However, including this cost does not make nuclear power prohibitively expensive.

Most importantly nuclear power is a lesser of evils. It is not even close to perfect, but it’s better than almost all of our current alternatives.

Relatively safe (far less damaging than coal power generation) when properly regulated, relatively cheap, relatively green. Sure you have to take care of spent fuel, but that is something that we can do.

In the long term I believe some sort of solar power generation will be our best option - right now I believe that nuclear power generation is our best option.

Lance · 6 months ago

I think the problem with Nuclear energy in the United States is that we are dominated by the media and currently the media thinks that NUCLEAR is bad. Additionally, worriers think that if we reprocess our waste (producing weapon capable material) we are creating a greater availability for terrorists. Most countries using Nuclear Plants reprocess cutting down waste per cycle to less than 250 lbs a year (estimated on 2000lbs of spent fuel per plant per year). If terrorists really wanted this reprocessed fuel they can get it in Russia, France and likely couple of others.

Lastly, we need to more vigorously explore a process to reverse U238 to U235 (U235 being stable) there by reducing even further the waste that is so problematic.

Lance · 6 months ago

"Over the lifetime of a nuclear power plant the cost of generating electricity is very low"

This is misleading because of the

1) cost of plant construction (you have to figure that in, industry does that is a big reason they don't build them.

2) cost of storing waste over its self life must be figured in (how long will it have to be stored? 1000s of years, that will be expensive

Elliot Fraser · 8 months ago

Useful factual information