[OT] They're restarting Chernobyl?

From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis_at_mcmanis.com>
Date: Sat Nov 27 17:51:18 1999

At 11:48 AM 11/27/99 -0800, Daniel A. Seagraves wrote:
>Slashdot has a link to an MSNBC story about the Russians restarting reactor
>#3 at the Chernobyl plant in the Ukraine. They need the power but can't
>afford a new reactor.

The reactor that had the fire was (and is) irretrievable. The new reactor
was one that was in process to go on line before the disaster and has never
been run.

There are several interesting reports about Chernobyl but perhaps the one
most sobering is that during its time of operation, _including_ the
meltdown, it has generated more power and killed fewer people and done less
harm to the environment than the coal fired plants in Michigan. The damage
those plants have done include dumping so much sulphur and other chemicals
into the air that they have killed vast tracts of forest and made some
lakes and streams completely devoid of life. If you add the number of
people killed in coal mining accidents and getting black lung disease the
numbers are even worse.

Consider it flame bait if you like, but if you run the numbers this country
would be a lot better off (fewer people killed generating the power, fewer
natural resources destroyed) with a nuclear power infrastructure than it
would be with a fossil fuel powered one.

--Chuck
Received on Sat Nov 27 1999 - 17:51:18 GMT