March 4, 2008

If implemented well, nuclear plants are safe and capable of producing large amounts of energy at a reasonable cost.

The issue of waste is the deal breaker.

Most can't distinguish between low-level and hot radioactive material. No one wants it generated or remediated in their backyard. No one wants it to travel through their backyard. No one anything to do with long-term waste burial.

A forced solution isn't possible because every angle will be locked in litigation for decades. Even if the green light is given, I foresee zealots throwing themselves on tracks.

At the end of the day, the cost of waste management and disposal is just too much.

On a lighter note, I saw a comment on the Obama blog about how cold fusion would solve our problems. I nearly cried. God help us all.

Thanks for raising the issue. I look forward to reading more.