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Original poster

Nuclear power?

60 replies

winebeforepearls · 26/03/2008 19:49

The French are keen to help us build third-generation nuclear power stations. With global warming and the insecurity of Russian and mid-east oil, should we just get on with it? Or do you think they are too dangerous?

(That's the power stations, not the French )

OP posts:
nickytwotimes · 26/03/2008 19:50

They terrify me. (the stations - I rather like the French, being a Scot - the Auld Alliance, lol)
I have no well thought out solution, just scared shitless by nuclear everything!

Whizzz · 26/03/2008 19:54

The nuclear industry is inherently very safe - it's just if things go wrong - they go VERY wrong!

Original poster
winebeforepearls · 26/03/2008 19:59

hmm, yes, this the problem. It's rather like saying aeroplanes are the safest way to travel -- except when they crash.

But I've been reading this in which he strongly advocates getting the feck on with building nuclear power stations, and find him mightily convincing. (He rather sweetly offers to have all the nuclear waste buried in his garden if it would help people feel better)

And the French don't seem to have had any hideous accidents (have they? )

Am off to search for decent statistics on cancer clusters, etc.

OP posts:
Greyriverside · 26/03/2008 20:04

Nuclear power is safe if you don't let politicians give the building contracts to cowboys in exchange for little brown envelopes and don't let them appoint their incompetent friends to run them.

So not terribly safe...

But if we don't start building lots of them tomorrow morning we are going to be sitting in the dark without even the internet in a few years time.

Could build them on the estates of royalty and such rather than next to primary schools.

Original poster
winebeforepearls · 26/03/2008 20:09

Now that's a plan One at Balmoral to start with.

And no discharging waste into the sea hoping it will just 'go away' either.

OP posts:
AtheneNoctua · 27/03/2008 08:34

I'm for Nuclear Power. It is a matter of national security. An dit a matter of great urgency. The less dependant we are on Russia, Iran, Venezuaela, and some other oil richnations, the safer we will be.

I'm not sure if it's in our best interest to give all the work to the French... but we definitely need nuclear. And the sooner we get a move on the better.

Maybe we could make a swap with France and give them the nuclear contracts if the EU gives us back the rebate.

katz · 27/03/2008 08:49

nuclear power is the way forward

although the true way forward is to reduce how much we consume. everyone needs to decrease there consumption of power by about 30%, we need to think about whether we actually need the things we buy and more importantly think about how much they cost the environment to get them there.

SheherazadetheGoat · 27/03/2008 08:55

another good plan would be to regulate all new building to ensure it is fuel efficient and promote integration of things like solar panels grey water etc.

as long as we live in the me me and my plasma tv society nuclear is the only option. i think everyone who has ridiculous gadgets in their home should be forced to keep some nuclear waste in their garden.

AtheneNoctua · 27/03/2008 11:56

Yes, I agree there are other measures we should also be taking. But, nuclear needs to be part of the plan.

My DH like to open windows and turn on the heat and it does my head in -- but I have yet to convince him to change his ways.

BrownSuga · 27/03/2008 12:04

DH is all for it. He's an engineer and has worked in Nuclear and proclaimed it to be safe.

There is one just down the road from us which is being decommissioned sometime in the next 20yrs, it makes me a little bit nervous, but we're that close if anything happened, it would be over quickly.

Original poster
winebeforepearls · 27/03/2008 13:43

Greenpeace of course are dead against

But does the waste have to be such a huge problem?

Do you have any friendly nuclear scientists on MN?

And if not, why not?

OP posts:
Greyriverside · 27/03/2008 13:50

If Greenpeace don't want nuclear power they can send someone to my house with one of those exercise bikes with a generator attached and pedal like crazy to keep things running.

AtheneNoctua · 27/03/2008 14:20

Oh, can I get a little greenpeace man on a bike, too? Can he wear those tight little biker shorts?

Original poster
winebeforepearls · 27/03/2008 15:27

I'm sure we would need two at least. And obviously they would be worn out by the time they were, oh, 22?

OP posts:
AtheneNoctua · 27/03/2008 15:31

We could set up two bikes side by side and they could have a race.

Original poster
winebeforepearls · 27/03/2008 15:34

gosh, my attempt at mature debate about nuclear power seems to have been derailed

OP posts:
AtheneNoctua · 27/03/2008 15:37

The trouble is we agree so there's not much to argue about. I'm actually surprised you haven't gotten any backlash from the tree huggers.

Maybe they are on their bikes?

Original poster
winebeforepearls · 27/03/2008 15:42

I know, I'm quite surprised. Not that I was spoiling for a fight or anything

I'll bump for the evening crowd and if that doesn't work we should send the thread off to No. 10 and say, look, MN says it's okay

OP posts:
AtheneNoctua · 27/03/2008 15:46

Yes, great idea. We could be Gordon's complete consultation.

Original poster
winebeforepearls · 27/03/2008 19:20

?

OP posts:
AtheneNoctua · 27/03/2008 20:00

You know. He was criticised by Green Peace for having in incomplete consultation about Nuclear. So he had to do it again -- actually it was Blair I think. But, this thread here can be the full version. Job done. Thorough consultation.

And fit little greenies on bikes.

Original poster
winebeforepearls · 27/03/2008 20:41

It's looking that way, Athene

Do we get loads of back-handers from BNF for our thorough, complete and unbiased consultation?

OP posts:
scaryteacher · 28/03/2008 12:39

..and actually, given the several nuclear reactors that we have in the UK at various dockyards, we have an excellent safety record in this area. It used to make me laugh when I got told that Plymouth was a nuclear free zone and DH had just come home to Plymouth in his nuclear powered black tube!

Lilymaid · 28/03/2008 12:42

Derby City Council tried to make Derby a nuclear free zone back in the 1980s. They obviously didn't realise that there was a small test reactor there at Rolls Royce who do the design for the submarines. Incidentally, the submarine reactors are PWRs - same type as are likely to be built here by the French (we got rid of all our nuclear people years ago so have to buy in from abroad)

scaryteacher · 28/03/2008 12:50

DH chortled about that Lilymaid on a ship's visit to Derby.