Nuclear power plants

True radiation really doesn't cause unusual mutation. It is toxic chemicals that will cause mutation and changes in DNA. Radiation will breakdown and decay DNA, but not mutate it. It would take a chemical compound to be absorbed and physically have to change it.

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Originally Posted by London Boy

Bring it on. As a Pom, I grew up surrounded by nuclear power stations and the Australian objection to them just, for me, doesn't compute.

Chernobyl, even at the worst realistic estimates, killed maybe 60,000 people (by which I mean, shortened the lives of) since it went off. More people have died on Australia's (just Australia's) roads in the same period..

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mate, if your going to bandy about stats like that take a bit of care to get them right, including ALL of 1986, Aust road deaths to end on 2012 were 51,106

Was Poms like you that buggered up Australia in the first place (by laying claim to it) and more recently thought it fine to Australia as a Atomic test site

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Ultimately, if we don't embrace nuclear, the half life of waste doesn't matter. We will have been swamped much sooner by all the other environmental impacts we're generating.

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oh, for pity's sake

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Originally Posted by Eevo

True radiation really doesn't cause unusual mutation. It is toxic chemicals that will cause mutation and changes in DNA. Radiation will breakdown and decay DNA, but not mutate it. It would take a chemical compound to be absorbed and physically have to change it.

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You could try one day to provide some actual scientific evidence to support your amazing pronouncements.

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Originally Posted by bee utey

You could try one day to provide some actual scientific evidence to support your amazing pronouncements.

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Originally Posted by Eevo;

True radiation really doesn't cause unusual mutation. It is toxic chemicals that will cause mutation and changes in DNA. Radiation will breakdown and decay DNA, but not mutate it. It would take a chemical compound to be absorbed and physically have to change it.

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I would be interested to know more, so when people are making a statement could they back it up if possible, with a reference to their source.

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go look up any medical text book on ionising radiation.

Did this thread start because of the current meeting of Scientists from around the world in Sydney at the moment?

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Scientists from around the world are gathered in Sydney to consider the possible future of nuclear energy in Australia.

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Ref; Should Australia consider a nuclear future? - ABC Rural (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
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Originally Posted by Eevo

go look up any medical text book on ionising radiation.

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Sorry but that is far too simplistic.

Of course high (acute) dose ionising radiation causes cell death rather than mutation. But there are still unknowns about chronic doses.

e.g.

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Genetic effects of ionizing radiation - some questions with no answers
Author(s): Mosse, IB (Mosse, Irma B.)
Source: JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY Volume: 112 Pages: 70-75 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2012.05.009 Published: OCT 2012
Times Cited: 0 (from Web of Science)
Cited References: 35 [ view related records ] Citation MapCitation Map
Abstract: There are a lot of questions about genetic effects of ionizing radiation, the main one is does ionizing radiation induce mutations in humans? There is no direct evidence that exposure of parents to radiation leads to excess heritable disease in offspring. What is the difference between human and other species in which radiation induced mutations are easily registered? During evolution germ cell selection ex vivo has been changed to a selection in vivo and we cannot observe such selection of radiation damaged cells in human. Low radiation doses are they harmful or beneficial? The "hormesis" phenomenon as well as radioadaptive response proves positive effects of low radiation dose. Can analysis of chromosomal aberration rate in lymphocytes be used for dosimetry? Many uncontrolled factors may be responsible for significant mistakes of this method. Why did evolution preserve the bystander effect? This paper is discussion one and its goal is to pay attention on some effects of ionizing radiation. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Accession Number: WOS:000307694700011
Document Type: Article
Language: English
Author Keywords: Ionizing radiation; Mutations in human; Germ cell selection; Hormesis; Radioadaptive response; Biodosimetry
KeyWords Plus: HIGH BACKGROUND-RADIATION; CHERNOBYL CLEANUP WORKERS; ANKYLOSING-SPONDYLITIS; ADAPTIVE RESPONSE; DOWNS-SYNDROME; X-RAYS; MUTATIONS; CHILDREN; MORTALITY; ACCIDENT

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Did this thread start because of the current meeting of Scientists from around the world in Sydney at the moment?

Hi Wrinklearthur. Yes. I heard it on the ABC a couple of days ago .Jim

I feel like I am sitting in a science lecture.

For the electricity - What about green energy?

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Originally Posted by rb30gtr

I feel like I am sitting in a science lecture.

For the electricity - What about green energy?

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The big issue is baseload power. At present, fossil fuels (coal or gas) or nuclear provide almost all the world's baseload power.

Some "green" options like geothermal, ocean swell/tide, solar thermal + storage, etc... can provide baseload power as well, but the technologies are either experimental, very expensive, or the sites where they can be implemented viably are too few and far from the demand. Plus for all apart from Geothermal, a few days with no wind or sun will mean no power.

However, a lot of the issues can be overcome by better grids and smarter power management. It is usually windy or sunny somewhere. The middle of Australia has over 300 sunny days a year...