Because 18 coal miners died in the U.S. in 2009, or something like that.

I'll give you that. But, how often do we get stories about how coal is dangerous, thus giving people like you a platform to talk about coal? Those stories are rarely written.

That aside, people also seem to be inherently biased to close their eyes to how dangerous coal is, and inherently biased to fear the voodoo magic of nuclear, so if you just take each story on its face as they come, it'll just inevitable lead to more coal. Which is fine by me.

Yeah, lets just completely ignore science. There's radiation down there, we don't understand it, we fear what we don't understand, so obviously it has to be indiana jones-style "this is the cup of kings" face-melting danger.

For somebody accusing everybody else of ignorance, you really haven't brought any substantial facts to the table, and you also don't know the situation over there. I know this because nobody here knows what the situation really is over there. You're coming across like we're cavemen afraid of fire, when you don't know any more about it than anyone else does.

bullcrap. I posted this three times already, maybe you didn't notice it, so here's number 4.

There's context for radiation exposure. As far as the danger of coal goes, just google it. Over the last 40 years, hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of coal miners dead around the world, and who knows how many dead from emissions.

If you live next to a coal plant or mine, you are exposed to more radiation than from a nuclear plant, lots of papers and evidence that nuclear is safer than coal, etc.

But, coal is cheaper than nuclear. I don't buy into global warming and I'm fine with the loss of life and environmental damage, so lower my electric bills. Coal all the way, and shut every nuclear reactor down.

But, I say that for economic reasons, not because of safety. If you think coal is safer than nuclear, you are very wrong.

Serves them right for what they did to the Jews during world war 2

can we please use this post about the labor negotiations also?

Temperature of Spent Fuel Pools at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Spent fuel that has been removed from a nuclear reactor generates intense heat and is typically stored in a water-filled spent fuel pool to cool it and provide protection from its radioactivity. Water in a spent fuel pool is continuously cooled to remove heat produced by spent fuel assemblies. According to IAEA experts, a typical spent fuel pool temperature is kept below 25 ˚C under normal operating conditions. The temperature of a spent fuel pool is maintained by constant cooling, which requires a constant power source.

Given the intense heat and radiation that spent fuel assemblies can generate, spent fuel pools must be constantly checked for water level and temperature. If fuel is no longer covered by water or temperatures reach a boiling point, fuel can become exposed and create a risk of radioactive release. The concern about the spent fuel pools at Fukushima Daiichi is that sources of power to cool the pools may have been compromised.

The IAEA can confirm the following information regarding the temperatures of the spent nuclear fuel pools at Units 4, 5 and 6 at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant:

Unit 4

14 March, 10:08 UTC: 84 ˚C
15 March, 10:00 UTC: 84 ˚C
16 March, 05:00 UTC: no data

Unit 5

14 March, 10:08 UTC: 59.7 ˚C
15 March, 10:00 UTC: 60.4 ˚C
16 March, 05:00 UTC: 62.7 ˚C

Unit 6

14 March, 10:08 UTC: 58.0 ˚C
15 March, 10:00 UTC: 58.5 ˚C
16 March, 05:00 UTC: 60.0 ˚C

The IAEA is continuing to seek further information about the water levels, temperature and condition of all spent fuel pool facilities at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

:spock:

Well, Unit 4 looks to be getting close to boiling, but at the rate that the temperatures seem to be increasing, it looks like we have a few days before that boils off. Hopefully those U.S. pumps will work at getting some fresh water circulated in.

Well, yes, but just by walking, talking, breathing and eating you're exposed to background radiation.

Dumbass, you're thinking of Italy.

I don't want to get in the middle of your debate with Alnorth, but on the thyroid cancer in children thing -- a Vanderbilt doctor with expertise in this area said that the thyroid cancer in children was caused by children drinking the milk of cows who had eaten grass in contaminated fields and that (1) the Russian government was particularly stupid or whatever to let this happen, and (2) even those deaths could largely have been prevented by iodine tablets.

Again, this is specific to the thyroid cancer in the children in the wake of Chernobyl.

For the record, as far as I know, that is 18 more people than ever died in teh US for working in the nuclear power plant industry.