Can A Nuclear Accident Like Japan Happen Here?

[Kermit]

With the world watching the unfolding events in Japan with its many nuclear reactors on the brink of meltdown, it makes one think, "Can this happen here"?

It's a very important and loaded question, as the ramifications of a major accident could be massive. I was sent an email by a friend today with an article attached that put my worries to rest, at least a little bit. It was written by the power workers of Ontario, which have some of the highest safety measures in the world, and explains why it is very unlike;y to happen in Ontario.

I'm sure these safety measures are pretty standard at least here in North America, so it will give you a good idea of the massive redundancies in place.

http://abetterenergyplan.ca/#/news/accident-here?

[AnzeL]

Anything can happen, at anytime.
If anything, what's happening in Japan should serve as a example of why we must lean on solar and wind.

`my 2 cents

[Harry_Flew]

Of course that is true, but they are simply different systems, in different parts of the world. One has more redundancies and is in an area where severe storms the like of Japan CAN NOT HAPPEN. So it comes down to fault of man, but there are just so many redundancies. Check out this article, it explains the difference between the reactors here in Ontario, and the ones in Japan.

http://abetterenergyplan.ca/#/news/nuclear-industry-differences-worth-noting

[Kermit]

I disagree.

We shouldn't allow another moral panic over nuclear. Context is everything, and the context of the Japanese tragedy was incredibly unique.

Pushing aside nuclear will lead to decades of dependence on fossil fuels while we wait for renewable tech to mature.

Fossil fuel carbon emissions have killed far more people than nuclear ever has or will.

[AnzeL]

Pushing aside nuclear will lead to decades of dependence on fossil fuels while we wait for renewable tech to mature.

What more maturing must we wait for??
The technology is there!! All that is left is for it to become standard.

Why wait hundreds of years for solar panels to become more developed, while it can become standard for all homes to be built with at least 4 solar panels? If it was done, would we need to rely on fossil fuels or nuclear?

[SnellExperts]

I can kinda see both sides of the fence on this one. Putting solar panels on every new home would be a great start, but who is going to pay for it? So few people have the certs for that kind of work, and the ones that you can find are fairly expensive. And to get every home in America equipped with solar panels would probably take a considerable amount of time. Its a nice gesture, if it was possible, I just don't see it as feasible right now. Just my 2 cents.

[vista]

i think so. wouldn't be surprise.

[goGreenEnergy]

A catastrophe is never impossible but the United States and Canada keep extremely high safety ratings on any of it's energy production, Solar and wind energy would be a great way to go but were not quite ready to make it economically viable yet and nuclear is a good transition medium between fossil fuels and solar and wind. I believe the chance of anything like Japan happening here is very remote but as with all sources of energy there is a potential for danger.

[SnellExperts]

True, anytime you deal with something that powerful, an accident can result in a catastrophic event!