Links: Top-level Nuclear Power page Power Generation - What are the alternatives?   Nuclear Q&A - Answers to common questions: What about radiation? What about waste? Why couldn't Chernobyl happen in the U.S.? Alternative Energy Sources - what about Solar? Wind? Fuel Cells? Electric Cars - The personal transportation of the future. Reduce Impact - Are you concerned about the inherent dangers in any power generation technology? Try consuming less! The Evils of Coal - If you want to get steamin' mad about a power generation technology, try coal. Coal Power kills more people each year than Nuclear power ever has, worldwide, including Chernobyl.

Reducing Impact   A major portion of the environmental-impact problem for power plants is that we consume so much of it. In the U.S., an average family of four consumes about 200 KWH per week. This is an incredible amount of energy, enough to lift a 1-ton weight over 50 miles straight up! Here's another interesting way to look at it: What if the energy was generated by human power? Human power (and fire) has been the primary energy source for over 99% of human history. A well-trained athlete is capable of generating about 200 watts aerobically. The average American family would need their own cadre of 25 athletes working full time (40 hours a week) to generate the electrical power they use. The trouble is that this group of 25 athletes is invisible: they are instantly available by plugging into a wall socket, and the environmental impact of the energy consumption is invisible to the consumer. The answer is obvious: Tiny smoke emitters next to each power outlet in a home, that release smoke into the home as electrical energy is consumed. I'm kidding, of course! Still, it highlights a problem: The impact is invisible and the cost is minimal, so the consumer has no obvious feedback mechanism. (more coming)   If you have questions, comments, praise, or criticism for these pages, I'd love to hear it. Send mail here.