Nuclear Radiation Myths & Lies

Just a few…

#1 There is no way to deal with nuclear waste being generated.

Nuclear power companies dispose of radiation in a number of ways. Waste is most often buried at great depths, sealed off with thick layers of concrete.  Nuclear waste companies make billions if dollars on disposal by containing waste underground, which is currently the most effective method of disposal. Waste can also be recycled and used in manufacturing to melt materials or reused for power.

#2 Nuclear radiation takes over 10,000 years to decay.

Radiation has a measurable decay rate after which it becomes neutralized. Only certain types of radiation take over 10,000 years to decay, and that number is only 1% of all radiation that power plants use. Uranium used in nuclear power plants can decay from anywhere between 1,000 and 10,000 years. Rarer forms of uranium and plutonium can take hundreds of thousands of years to decay.

#3 Underground nuclear waste that has been stored could leak out and harm future generations.

Strict measures are implemented to ensure that repositories for nuclear waste are far from any known fault lines and cannot leak out into local populations. However, the greatest threat people face from nuclear waste is nuclear waste above ground. Natural disasters and above ground testing can cause greater damage to future generations than storing waste underground. If we want to protect future generations from radiation we should work to reduce storage of radiation and testing on the surface.

4# Nuclear power does not emit harmful radiation into the atmosphere.

Radiation can get into the atmosphere through the steam generated by nuclear power plants and by nuclear testing. People assume that the amount is not significant, but atmospheric radiation can be spread to anywhere and in large amounts if there is a nuclear disaster.

#5 Nuclear radiation, which is located on the ground poses fewer problems than in the air or water.

Once radiation enters flowing currents, like the ocean or the air, it can no longer be contained at our current levels of technology. Radiation is then free to spread out to other places.

#6 Better technology will make nuclear radiation safer.

Even with improvements in technology there is no standard for the removal of waste. There may also be problems that are not anticipated – like the water damage at Fukushima taking out power generators. Disasters can be minimized, but not completely eliminated. By using nuclear power we are taking a risk that we might not be able to contain it. However, technology can improve power generation and reduce our dependency on nuclear power and non-renewable energy sources.

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Nuclear-Wastes/Radioactive-Wastes—Myths-and-Realities/