[meteorite-list] OT: RISKS OF NUCLEAR POWER

[Sterling K. Webb]

List,

We are invariably abnormally impressed by the
sudden occurrence of a rare, high-risk event.
We do not appraise them in a strictly rational
manner when this happens.

The current application of fear caused by a very
rare event, as we see in Japan, is weighted heavily.
For those interested in the actual data, the human 
cost, in lives, of the various means of electric power 
production are listed below. 

Deaths are for the period 1970 through 1992, the 
only period for which data could be collected for all 
the means of production. 

All deaths are "immediate" deaths, and the figures 
are on a worldwide basis, which includes countries
with less stringent industrial safety requirements
than the U.S. This is the picture for the Planet.

Hydroelectric production accounted for roughly 4000 
deaths, of members of the public, or 883 deaths per 
terawatt-year. The vast majority of those deaths were
from the failure of dams and impoundments.

Coal power production produced  about 6400 deaths, 
all of workers, for a death rate of 342 deaths per 
terawatt-year. (Deaths from the mining of coal are
included in proportion to the use of coal in direct
power production.)

Natural Gas power production resulted in some 
1200 deaths, of both industry workers and the 
general public, for 85 deaths per terawatt-year.

Nuclear Power resulted in 31 deaths, all of workers, 
for a total of 8 deaths per terawatt-year, or 1%
of the deaths from "safe" environmentally friendly 
hydroelectric power.

The "other fuel," petroleum, is rarely used for power 
production but largely for transportation. How deadly,
in these terms, is our transportation power use in
cars and trucks as compared to the cost in life of 
power production? 

The U.S. consumed 0.138 teragallons of gasoline
on 2009 (at 4.175 watt-years per gallon), with a
total energy content of a "mere" 0.576 terawatt-years.
Highway deaths in 2009 were 33,963, which yields 
58,943 deaths per terawatt-year of power consumed.

Clearly, the use of this power source for transport
is many orders of magnitude more dangerous than 
the production of electrical power, however it is 
accomplished. Our reaction to this horrendous
risk is to complain about how much it costs us to
fill'er up.

Humans are not rational animals.

The reduction in overall life expectancy in the 
U.S. due to nuclear power production is one-third 
of the reduction in life expectancy caused by eating 
8 ounces. of charcoal-broiled steak per week.

Make mine medium-rare, please.



Sterling K. Webb
--------------------------------------------------------------------