| Start a discussion group on nuclear power and | | | | miles to slowly fall on population centers. |
| it will grow heated very quickly. No pun | | | | |
| intended. Objectively, there are a few | | | | In the case of Chernobyl, the meltdown |
| definitive risks associated with such plants. | | | | produce more than 300 times the radioactive |
| | | | fallout of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The |
| Risks Associated With Nuclear Power Plants | | | | fallout spread as far as Western Europe. The |
| | | | devastation led to the evacuation of 300,000 |
| A nuclear power plant is a unique bit of | | | | people, and some estimates attribute over |
| technology. The goal of the design and | | | | 270,000 cases of cancer to the fallout. Birth |
| technology is twofold - to maintain control | | | | defects in the areas hit by radioactive |
| of a nuclear molecular reaction and to | | | | fallout are incredibly high. |
| harness energy from it. Surprisingly, the | | | | |
| design of most reactors is fairly simple, but | | | | Nuclear waste is another risk associated with |
| much thought is given to safety issues. | | | | plants. The simple problem is there is no way |
| Despite these efforts, the nature of nuclear | | | | to safely dispose of it. This leads to |
| fission is such that it can be very | | | | tremendous arguments and litigation over |
| dangerous. | | | | locations where it can be stored. |
| | | | |
| There are a variety of risks associated with | | | | The third area of risk associated with |
| a nuclear power plant. The biggest can be | | | | nuclear power plants concerns intentional |
| summarized as meltdown, nuclear waste and | | | | acts to damage them. Simply put, nuclear |
| attractiveness as a military or terror | | | | power plants are large, stationary targets. |
| target. Each is a valid issue, so let's take | | | | Given the devastation caused by a meltdown, |
| a look at them. | | | | as seen with Chernobyl, these plants make |
| | | | great targets for both military and terrorist |
| A meltdown at a nuclear power plant was | | | | attacks. Keep in mind that the population |
| historically considered a possibility, but | | | | centers around Chernobyl were relatively |
| not a particularly likely event. Then | | | | small. In the United States, millions of |
| Chernobyl suffered a meltdown in 1986 and the | | | | people live close to most plants, which means |
| property, health and scope of damage opened | | | | a meltdown would result in far more damage on |
| the eyes of many skeptics. The risks | | | | just about every level. |
| associated with a meltdown are the | | | | |
| introduction of massive amounts of radiation | | | | The risks associated with nuclear power |
| to the surrounding areas and atmosphere where | | | | plants are pretty scary. The situation with |
| it is carried for hundreds or thousands of | | | | Chernobyl makes that clear enough. |