As an advocate of coal liquafaction that is now exceedingly clean and green, I have remaining questions about nuclear that only time and greater research can heal. The notion that there is no environmental impact misses the necessity to safely dispose of spent fuel. (An unresolved problem at this point.) And, of course, Chernobyl and 3MileIsland are both real concerns. They might be remote, but the results would be so devastating that it is considered to be high risk. (low probability + catastrophic results = high risk)
Actually they are building a facility as we speak in the US that alledgedly can turn nuclear waste into a safe and useful material. It is being built for other materials, but they claim they can handle nuclear waste.
Do you have a link that details how clean and green this process is? I know there are a number of demonstration plants up and running in the US (Great Plains Coal Gasification Plant in Beulah, North Dakota; Polk Power Station near Mulberry, Florida, etc.) but I can't find any hard info on what the true cost of generating a barrel of oil or bcf of gas is. Do you know where I can?
1) Please compare and contrast the Soviet RBMK Reactor design with US BWR and PWR designs.
2) Please outline the sequence of events during the TMI reactor accident, and discuss the real-world consequences of it.
3) Please discuss the chemical and isotopic composition of "spent reactof fuel". Consider the known uses of the substances contained therein. Extra Credit: What is the Savannah River Facility?
I thought the biggest long-term problem with burning coal was the tons of mercury put into the air. That's catastrophic, and not easily fixed, while C02 will cycle back into plant life.
Where does the mercury in the coal go in the liquifaction process?