David Roberson <[email protected]> wrote:
> Perhaps engineers should go back and reconsider their previous decisions > in light of the serious consequences pertaining to nuclear meltdowns. It > may be determined that the risk exceeds the benefits of using nuclear power. > They are doing that. I think all but two reactors in Japan are closed down. They are taking steps to prevent this from happening again, such as building bigger seawalls. The other day the government authorized two more reactors to turn on. I guess they have finished retrofitting them with the latest upgrades. I think the local population is opposed to turning them on again and will prevent it. This is a big political battle. The local people are now afraid of them, for good reason. Even before the accident, I recall a Japanese politician said, "nuclear reactors are perfectly safe." A local person responded: "If they are so safe then you should put them in Tokyo. Why do you build them out here in the countryside if they are so safe?" People have known all along there is some danger from these things. There is no denying that. They have multi-megawatt scale gas-fired electric generators smack in the middle of Tokyo. I saw one just outside of New York City. Obviously the experts believe that gas-fired generators are safer than nuclear plants. - Jed
