A question posed in my collage class and my answer:
We are just recently realizing the impacts of improper disposal of hazardous waste as well as overuse of certain insecticides on the environment as well as the ecosystem. We are now looking at how and where to begin disposal of nuclear waste. What should be considered when identifying disposal methods and/or disposal sites?
After reading chapter 12, the sound of the statement, “We are now looking at how and where to begin disposal of nuclear waste.” causes me total disgust. It is so hard to comprehend that the disposal of waste with the most toxic proportions was not set in stone before building the first nuclear power plant. This is clear insanity! Moreover, some of what the chapter expresses is that we have come a long way in precautionary measures since “
Obviously, when considering methods of disposal, the least destructive to the environment needs to be the answer (no matter what the cost). It sure would be nice to blast it off into the sun or some foreign star but that would be near imposable and too dangerous. So, apart from that idea; deep underground disposal seems the most promising (on the path to decommissioning/dismantling every plant that exists – my comment). However, it must be contained in the best possible way, to reduce radiation leakage and contamination of the environment.
One thing to consider here class is the log-term accumulation of long-term (half-life) radiant nuclear waste. The more we create, the more we have to manage over long periods of time. Are the generations that follow us (thousands of years down the road) going to be able to handle the mess we are creating for them? Do we even care? Sometimes I really don’t believe we are smarter than the animals. No animal alive or dead has left our human generation with the type of problems we are creating for the life-forms that come after us.
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