Humans contribution to the health of this planet is immense. During one of my college courses I learned more of nuclear power and how it can help our environment. Nuclear power plants was said to be the way we could reverse the damage done. The issue was we wouldn’t be able to build them fast enough. And the public is afraid of nuclear plants due to past events. And of course the possibility of another country attacking the US and using these plants as a weapon.
These issues could easily be fixed. Coal plants are already built and can be converted to nuclear plants. There are about 300 unused coal plants. There are nuclear power plants that use different systems than those used in these major events and these systems are safer. Proper training and proper management would also make these plants safer. At Chernobyl, workers were afraid to report any wrongdoings and any concerns they had which played a major role in the disaster that occurred. And finally. Proper containment and security is available and proven possible. Something else they refused to properly do at Chernobyl.
And for an example of how nuclear power plants can be run effectively, efficiently, and safely. Please look at the New Jersey power plants. Between two plants, Salem Nuclear Power Plant and Hopewell Nuclear Power Plant, there are four nuclear reactors. These plants are next to eachother with a fire department in between the two. And are on the coast of the Delaware River. The state of New Jersey shut down a third plant, Oyster Creek, due to the owner not wanting to build the necessary cooling towers, this is proof that proper oversight and management works. Personally, I am a firefighter whose department is equipped with a hazmat decontamination trailer. FEMA runs drills with all hazmat teams, state police, and the workers and firefighters of these plants. The organization in these drills is immense and very well planned. We run through every scenario for decontamination which even includes de-escalation tactics for workers or state troopers that may act out due to their fear of what is happening. And finally, over 42% of New Jerseys energy use is Nuclear Power, the most used being natural gas at 49%. We are the most densely populated state in the United States. Yet do not have rolling blackouts. It also is over 85% of our carbon free electricity.
With many feeling the Trump Administration does not care about the environment or believes in climate change. I feel it would be a great idea to include something like this.