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this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2024
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nuclear power plants are way too vulnerable and dangerous of a terrorist target.
Wtf are you talking about? Nuclear power facilities are freaking huge and have top notch security. You ain't getting anywhere near any place you could ever do any damage. And since everybody who's supposed to be there needs clearance, it's easy to have strict security protocols in place. Anybody who isn't supposed to be there or takes anything in or out they aren't supposed to is identified easily and taken care of.
Any nuclear facility is more worried about espionage than any kind of attack. Even if you are able to bomb a part of it, worst case it will be shutdown for repairs for a while and maybe kill a dozen or so people who are near the bomb as it goes off. Something like a crowded square in a city centre is a much easier target for terrorism and probably has more impact in the causing fear department than bombing some energy facility.
So no, denying nuclear power based on fear of terrorism isn't only unfounded, it's also exactly what the terrorists want. Fuck them guys, don't give in to fear.
And in case you don't know: a nuclear power plant is not a nuclear bomb, it can't become a nuclear bomb and it doesn't contain any materials to create a nuclear bomb. Just because they both contain the word nuclear and work on a fission principle, doesn't mean they are the same thing.
(I blame the recent Chernobyl series for fueling the fear of nuclear once again. You should know that whilst it is a good series, it is not a documentary and they dropped the ball hard on all the science parts)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulnerability_of_nuclear_plants_to_attack#:~:text=Nuclear%20reactors%20become%20preferred%20targets,%2C%20occupations%2C%20invasions%20and%20campaigns.
Yes military targets, as are most energy production facilities. Any part of critical infrastructure is a prime military target. Just ask the people of Taiwan.
This has nothing to do with terrorism and certainly isn't a reason not to build them. Whatever replacement you have for them, would then become the target. This is common sense.
I would also say that being energy independent is a deterrent to all out war, as it removes leverage one party may have over another. With a balanced field of power, total war becomes less likely.
Also by the time Western Europe / Mainland US is under military assault and our allies can't protect our critical infrastructure, we have much bigger concerns.
These all are valid points. From the technological point of view nuclear technology is pretty safe and the margin of error is rather low. There are many redundant fail-save measurements to retain a save operation. But if something will happen, it will be devestating. Most famous incident is Chernobyl. Also, nuclear waste management is a huge issue. Not many (if any) locations for waste storage have the capability for eternal storage. The Asse II mine for instance is a former salt mine which has been re-purposed as a deep geological repository. It was supposed to last alt least several thousand years. After only 30 years of usage it has been detected that water seeps into the vault which leads to corrosion of the barrels filled with nuclear waste which ~~will result~~ already resulted in a release of radioactive elements. This is how the barrels were handled and stored. I am no expert but thirty years into almost eternity is a pretty bad figure.
And there is another thing - and in my opinion this is a really serious one: Nucular power plants are operated by corporations within the private sector. This means that such a power plant is conducted with an economical focus (= profit). The incentive to make profit will result in skipping maintenance, bribing inspectors and downplaying any technical difficulties. Even when assumed that all the other issues (waste management etc.) are solved, every technical malfunction that resulted in the leakage of radioactive material woult be not be made public voluntarily. There were many incidents that have been made public, because the law required them to do so.. The hidden number of incidents that were not required to be made public is probably much higher.
hehehe, plane goes boom
Honestly if the UK can spend a couple of decades with half a hiroshimas worth of high explosives sitting unguarded within sight of London I think a nuclear facility with actual security will be fine.