Power Related Deaths

Image Source: http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/archive/2805/28053601.jpg

This image is very powerful in that it shows you side by side the deaths (recorded) of these power sources. A huge worry for many people related to Nuclear energy is that it could have devastating deaths if something went wrong. This graph shows, even with Chernobyl, the numbers are vastly below Coal. The other thing to keep in mind when looking at this is that, those deaths related to Nuclear power were most all accidents and unfortunate events where as with Coal, nothing went wrong, there were no Coal plant disasters. The deaths related to coal come mainly from air pollution. So when thinking about Nuclear vs. Coal, remember that Nuclear may not be as dangerous as you think and even still, it's less dangerous than Coal already is. 

Air Pollution Related Deaths

Image Source : http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/ecological/nuclear_power_hansen.jpg

This graph shows shows how many deaths, approximate, have been prevented by nuclear power. These numbers are in relation to air pollution. Coal gives off enormous amounts of carbon which highly pollutes the air we breathe. As this graph illustrates, thousands of people could have potentially died (on top of others who unfortunately did pass because of air pollution) because of the pollution caused by burning coal.

Decision Board: Build a Nuclear Plant?

 

	YES	NO
No Nuclear Accident	We have consistent clean energy and are reducing carbon emissions! We spent billions of dollars and year building the reactors.	Continual high carbon emissions. No one is in danger of nuclear accidents. Those billions of dollars can be put to something else.
Nuclear Accident	People were killed, others may suffer from radioactivity. That area is now off limits and potentially dangerous to be near to. Billions of dollars are lost, and billions of dollars will now need to go into damage repairs, making this zone safe, possibly building a new reactor somewhere else.	Nothing can happen without a power plant.

A Debate on Nuclear Power

TED Talk

This is a video of a TED talk that features Stewart Brand and Mark Jacobson in a debate on nuclear energy. Both men bring up valid and very interesting points on nuclear energy as well as renewable sources such as wind and solar. A few members of the audience also weigh in briefly on either side of the debate. In the beginning the host asks, by a raise of hands, who is for and who is against nuclear power: the results are about 75:25 for. At the end he asks again and some people change in both ways. Watch and see if this debate influences your thoughts at all!

Video Source:

http://www.ted.com/talks/debate_does_the_world_need_nuclear_energy.html via Carsten Braun's posting for a class assignment

                      

Nuclear Power

Advantage vs Disadvantage

This simple illustration picked one advantage and one disadvantage (arguably the most positive: having electricity. And most negative: radioactive waste) and placed them side by side. It is interesting to me because the disadvantage portrays a hand reaching out of an overflowing barrel of neon green waste. In reality, there will not be open containers of waste laying around for people to fall into, but the symbolism strikes hard. It makes you wonder, where will this waste be stored? How much would be produced? Is it ensured that it will not harm us by just existing? Large questions from such a small and simple picture. 

What thoughts or questions strike you as you after looking at it?

Image Source: http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleImages/218911-14320-50.jpg

The Pros and Cons of Nuclear Power

Pros and Cons
A chart containing pros and cons as well as brief explanations for the importance/relevance of each point.