> This argument that nuclear power generation is clean if you ignore the times w... | Hacker News

Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit

		sgjohnson 19 days ago \| parent \| context \| favorite \| on: Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear cit... > This argument that nuclear power generation is clean if you ignore the times when it isn't seems a bit no-true-Scotsman to me. The same can be said about wind and solar. Nothing about producing the rare earths required is clean. Even if we include Chernobyl, nuclear is still by far the safest source of energy when looking at deaths per TWh generated. > I can, off the top of my head, name two sites that are dangerous decades after they were polluted Two? I can only count one. Fukushima is almost perfectly safe today, although exclusion zones still exist.

pixl97 19 days ago [–]

If I set up a wind generator and then leave it with no maintenance it's a risk to an area a little bit bigger than its maximum height. If I leave a nuclear reactor unattended it's a risk to hundreds of thousands of square miles.

sgjohnson 18 days ago | [–]

Most likely still worth it when comparing by unit of energy produced.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact