• kryptonicus@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        There have been three accidents related to nuclear power generation, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukashima. There were a total of 33 deaths attributed to those three incidents (32 from Chernobyl and 1 from Fukashima.)

        There are 58 deaths per terawatt-hour attributed to coal alone, mostly due to air pollution.

        I’d say that nuclear power is very close to completely harmless in comparison. Certainly in contrast to its perception among the general public.

        • what@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          It’s like saying airplanes are completely harmless. Compared to cars sure, you are much less likely to die in one, but it isn’t a nill chance.

          • CoderKat@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            You’re right, but it’s all relative and almost anything could kill you. Eg, vaccines are also a fantastic answer to the title question. They undeniably save lives and are extremely safe. But they can still kill you in very, very, very rare cases. I’m not sure any answer to this thread could have a nil chance. Even the video games answer, there’s been people who got so addicted to video games that they played them till they dropped dead (but that’s obviously an utter insane extreme and obviously video games are very, very safe).

    • kool_newt@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      It’s just the radioactive waste we don’t know what to do with and becoming a military or terrorist target parts that are dangerous.

      • NattyNatty2x4@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        No, we’ve known what to do with the waste for decades. Put it in cans, fill the can with cement, coat the can in cement, put the cans in a facility that is protected from geological events like earthquakes, and periodically check the cans/facility. In the US for example, The Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository was being made before political pressure shut it down.

        The waste issue is and always will be one of political pressure and ignorance by the masses, not an actual logistical issue