I feel like we are already past the point of no return as far as fear of nuclear goes, there are already a bunch of reactors around the world that would destroy our planet if they melt down.

This post was edited by UmadLoL on Feb 3 2021 02:03am

...and there's the fear I'm referring to. There's no reactor that would "melt the world". The area of impact is relatively small, and there are plenty of desert-type areas that could easily support a reactor if we decided we wanted them. From NM to AZ to Eastern Oregon. Yes, you need water, but we're talking containment tanks, not fresh water.

Meh, not getting into it. Let's just say it's not hard to find a safe solution where even if there IS a meltdown, it won't be a big deal, beyond the immediate risk to those specifically working there.

I mean, the world has had three nuclear incidents. Chernobyl which was decades ago under the USSR. Three Mile Island in which all of the safety steps worked perfectly, and Fukushima which required a tsunami and an earthquake at the same time to cause an issue.

Overall they've got a good record

Aye, agreed. Add on top of that thousands of worldwide nuclear weapons tests and a few dozen or even hundred *mostly* green reactors more or less aren't going to have an impact.

But... And it's a really hard BUT... Fear. How do you satisfy the citizens of Portland for example, that the reactor in their state, even if it's 200 miles away in the plains desert, isn't an immediate threat? Do they understand that the meltdown impact radius is likely less than a mile or two, assuming the 1 in 10 million odds against a meltdown rolls the wrong way?

I do not expect people to be reasonable.

This post was edited by InsaneBobb on Feb 3 2021 02:20am

Money and time for public education. That's really all you can do

In favor of Oregon's education system, Nuclear is actively taught as the most viable green power. It has been for 30 years. Alternatively, a few days on why nuclear is great, vs the impacts of nuclear bombs, nuclear meltdowns, and the impacts of radiation poisoning as an every year part of the curriculum from like 3rd grade through college...

It's not that we're undereducating regarding nuclear power. It's that we're overeducating regarding the risks of nuclear technology.