Decent article here by George Monbiot: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/mar/16/japan-nuclear-crisis-atomic-energy
Links to the latest UN report which estimates total deaths attributable to Chernobyl as... 43: http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/pressrels/2011/unisinf398.html M On 17 Mar 2011, at 09:28, Count Deiro wrote: > Excellent exposition, Sterling. I trust you will forgive me if I plagerize > and use the data in an upcoming symposium. No profit to me and I will > attribute. > > I'm sure that your ear to the track picked up the release yesterday that the > Surgeon General's actuarials have increased the life span for males in the > United States to 78 years and females at 81. So, I can expect, if I stay > straight, to see another four summers. > > Speaking of the Surgeon General...she famously got it wrong during a national > press conference yeaterday by stating " we could stock up on IODIDE > crystals." Makes me shudder. > > Kudos, > > Guido > > > -----Original Message----- >> From: "Sterling K. Webb" <[email protected]> >> Sent: Mar 16, 2011 10:38 PM >> To: Meteorite List <[email protected]> >> Subject: [meteorite-list] OT: RISKS OF NUCLEAR POWER >> >> List, >> >> We are invariably abnormally impressed by the >> sudden occurrence of a rare, high-risk event. >> We do not appraise them in a strictly rational >> manner when this happens. >> >> The current application of fear caused by a very >> rare event, as we see in Japan, is weighted heavily. >> For those interested in the actual data, the human >> cost, in lives, of the various means of electric power >> production are listed below. >> >> Deaths are for the period 1970 through 1992, the >> only period for which data could be collected for all >> the means of production. >> >> All deaths are "immediate" deaths, and the figures >> are on a worldwide basis, which includes countries >> with less stringent industrial safety requirements >> than the U.S. This is the picture for the Planet. >> >> Hydroelectric production accounted for roughly 4000 >> deaths, of members of the public, or 883 deaths per >> terawatt-year. The vast majority of those deaths were >> from the failure of dams and impoundments. >> >> Coal power production produced about 6400 deaths, >> all of workers, for a death rate of 342 deaths per >> terawatt-year. (Deaths from the mining of coal are >> included in proportion to the use of coal in direct >> power production.) >> >> Natural Gas power production resulted in some >> 1200 deaths, of both industry workers and the >> general public, for 85 deaths per terawatt-year. >> >> Nuclear Power resulted in 31 deaths, all of workers, >> for a total of 8 deaths per terawatt-year, or 1% >> of the deaths from "safe" environmentally friendly >> hydroelectric power. >> >> The "other fuel," petroleum, is rarely used for power >> production but largely for transportation. How deadly, >> in these terms, is our transportation power use in >> cars and trucks as compared to the cost in life of >> power production? >> >> The U.S. consumed 0.138 teragallons of gasoline >> on 2009 (at 4.175 watt-years per gallon), with a >> total energy content of a "mere" 0.576 terawatt-years. >> Highway deaths in 2009 were 33,963, which yields >> 58,943 deaths per terawatt-year of power consumed. >> >> Clearly, the use of this power source for transport >> is many orders of magnitude more dangerous than >> the production of electrical power, however it is >> accomplished. Our reaction to this horrendous >> risk is to complain about how much it costs us to >> fill'er up. >> >> Humans are not rational animals. >> >> The reduction in overall life expectancy in the >> U.S. due to nuclear power production is one-third >> of the reduction in life expectancy caused by eating >> 8 ounces. of charcoal-broiled steak per week. >> >> Make mine medium-rare, please. >> >> >> >> Sterling K. Webb >> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> ______________________________________________ >> Visit the Archives at >> http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html >> Meteorite-list mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > ______________________________________________ > Visit the Archives at > http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > Meteorite-list mailing list > [email protected] > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list [email protected] http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
