General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Japan Times: Discharges of Fukushima nuclear material “have effectively contaminated the sea" [View all]hunter
(38,304 posts)... but a little bit of tritium freaks them out.
Mercury has a half life of just about forever, and it comes from coal fired power plants, mine waste drainage, and other industrial sources. Look at the warning labels of certain fish species in the supermarket. That's a problem far worse than any tritium dumped at Fukushima. And frankly, I think commercial fishing ought to be outlawed, just as commercial hunting was outlawed in the USA.
The world could suffer a Fukushima sort of accident every year, and it still wouldn't be as hideous as the environmental damage done by the ordinary operations of coal fired plants.
Do I think we should "replace" coal with nuclear? No. I think we should shut down 90% of the industrial economy, sit back, and watch the flowers grow.
No cars, no wars, no airlines, and plenty of time to read a book, grow a garden, chat with neighbors, go to school, or take a hike. Like to travel? Walk, bicycle, take a slow train or sailboat to anywhere at all. No hurry.
Things we must do as humans are few. Feed everyone, shelter everyone in safe environments, teach our children, limit our population, and provide appropriate health care. Everything beyond that is optional and ought to be avoided if it is harmful to other people or the earth's environment.
We could have a twenty hour work week, long vacations and retirements, universal health care, housing and education for all, but instead we turn our lives into a meaningless race to nowhere, destroying ourselves and our world.