Politicians+Per+5-6

= Vote NO to Nuclear Power Plants. = = How Nuclear Power Works = -In nuclear power plants, neutrons hit uranium atoms, splitting them. This splitting releases uranium neutrons that then, hit other atoms, causing a chain reaction."Control rods" absorb neutrons to control the chain reaction. Fission releases lots of energy that heats water in the core of the plant to about 520 degrees F. The very hot water is used to spin turbines that are connected to generators that produce electricity. = Other Politician's Opinions = media type="youtube" key="SKOuQJVCqxQ?fs=1" height="346" width="432" = Pros = -Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers held about 50,400 jobs in 2008, of which 5,000 were nuclear power reactor operators, 10,000 were power distributors and dispatchers, and 35,400 were power plant operators. Jobs were located throughout the country. [] -Nuclear energy does not burn fossil fuels and does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. [] -Nuclear power is relatively inexpensive compared with energy of other types. Uranium, a raw fuel, is less expensive to get than oil, natural gas, or coal. Since the big guys get it cheap, consumers have lower electricity costs. [] = Cons = -Nuclear power plants take a long time to build. "no nuclear power plants ordered after 1972 have been built to completion." - Al Gore -The time frame needed for formalities, planning and building of a new nuclear power generation plant is in the range of 20 to 30 years in the western democracies. In other words: It is an illusion to build new nuclear power plants in a short time. [] __meltdowns__- overheating of a nuclear reactor that melts the uranium and releases radioactive material into the environment. Example: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. Copyright Three Mile Island site of a nuclear power plant 10 mi (16 km) south of Harrisburg, Pa. On Mar. 28, 1979, failure of the cooling system of the No. 2 nuclear reactor led to overheating and partial melting of its uranium core and production of hydrogen gas, which raised fears of an explosion and dispersal of radioactivity. Thousands living near the plant left the area before the 12-day crisis ended, during which time some radioactive water and gases were released. A federal investigation, assigning blame to human, mechanical, and design errors, recommended changes in reactor licensing and personnel training, as well as in the structure and function of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The accident also increased public concern over the dangers of nuclear power and slowed construction of other reactors. [] -Mining the element uranium (which is needed for nuclear power plants) leaves "mill tailings", the residues from chemical processing of the ore, which lead to radon exposures to the public. The all-inclusive estimates of radon effects are that one nuclear power plant operating for one year will eventually cause a few hundred deaths. Groundwater can be polluted not only from the heavy metals present in mine waste, but also from the traces of radioactive uranium still left in the waste. []
 * ** Employment **
 * ** No Pollution **
 * ** Cheap (sort of) **
 * ** Takes a Long Time **
 * ** Meltdowns **
 * The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition** | 2008 |
 * ** Radon **

-The energy source for nuclear energy is Uranium. Uranium is a scarce resource, its supply is estimated to last only for the next 30 to 60 years depending on the actual demand. -Uranium is one of the least plentiful of minerals, making up only two parts per million in the earth's crust. []
 * ** Uranium is a Rare Element **

-On April 26, 1986 the No. 4 reactor at the Chernobyl power plant (in the former U.S.S.R., present-day Ukraine) exploded, causing the worst nuclear accident ever. -High risks: Despite a generally high security standard, accidents can still happen. It is technically impossible to build a plant with 100% security. A small probability of failure will always last. The consequences of an accident would be absolutely devastating both for human being as for the nature. , The more nuclear power plants (and nuclear waste storage shelters) are built, the higher is the probability of a disastrous failure somewhere in the world. []
 * ** Risk of Accident **
 * 30 people were killed instantly, including 28 from radiation exposure, and a further 209 on site were treated for acute radiation poisoning.
 * The World Health Organization found that the fallout from the explosion was incredibly far-reaching. For a time, radiation levels in Scotland, over 1400 miles (about 2300 km) away, were 10,000 times the norm.
 * Thousands of cancer deaths were a direct result of the accident.
 * The accident cost the former Soviet Union more than three times the economical benefits accrued from the operation of every other Soviet nuclear power plant operated between 1954 and 1990.

-Nuclear waste is produced in many different ways. There are wastes produced in the reactor core, wastes created as a result of radioactive contamination, and wastes produced as a byproduct of uranium mining, refining, and enrichment. The vast majority of radiation in nuclear waste is given off from spent fuel rods. -A typical reactor will generate 20 to 30 tons of high-level nuclear waste annually. There is no known way to safely dispose of this waste. -By 1995, over 32,000 metric tons of highly radioactive waste had been produced by American nuclear reactors. That number is estimated to rise to 75,000 metric tons by 2015. -The problem of radioactive waste is still an unsolved one. The waste from nuclear energy is extremely dangerous and it has to be carefully looked after for several thousand years (10'000 years according to United States Environmental Protection Agency standards). []
 * ** Nuclear Waste **

-Terrorists would be able to skip the formidable task of assembling or stealing a nuclear bomb. There are more than a few terrorist experts who believe that a nuclear power plant will be successfully assaulted before terrorists have the ability to deliver a nuclear weapon. -Nuclear power plants as well as nuclear waste could be preferred targets for terrorist attacks. No atomic energy plant in the world could withstand an attack similar to 9/11 in New York. Such a terrorist act would have catastrophic effects for the whole world. -During the operation of nuclear power plants, radioactive waste is produced, which in turn can be used for the production of nuclear weapons. [] = Interesting Facts = In January 2010, the approx. US $ cost to get 1 kg of uranium as UO2 reactor fuel (at likely contract price for the natural uranium from a mine): About 20 or 30 tons of high level waste are produced per month per nuclear reactor.
 * ** Terrorist Attacks **

[] []
 * ~ Uranium: || 8.9 kg U3O8 x $115.50 || US$ 1028 ||
 * ~ Conversion: || 7.5 kg U x $12 || US$ 90 ||
 * ~ Enrichment: || 7.3 SWU x $164 || US$ 1197 ||
 * ~ Fuel fabrication: || per kg || US$ 240 ||
 * ~ Total, approx: ||  || US$ 2555 ||