Letter: Nuclear power (2011)

Letter to the Editors from the August 2011 issue of the Socialist Standard

Nuclear power

 

Dear Editors,

Re Pathfinders in the July issue. Since 1960 all aircraft carriers and since 1955 all submarines in the United States Navy have been nuclear-powered. Their safety record (I understand) is impeccable, although one must remember that this is a “not-for-profit” organization.

 

The history of steam boilers in the 19th century was one of explosions on locomotives, factories and ships until effective standards of design were recognized.

 

Uses were found for boiler waste – ash and clinker from coal was used for breeze blocks, soot for fertilizer.

 

Surely with world socialism standards for reactors would be advanced and uses found for nuclear waste?

Fred Moore, 

Canterbury

 

Reply: 

Your suggestion that socialism might develop safer and more reliable nuclear reactors is certainly reasonable, given that it wouldn’t be trying to do nuclear on the cheap and skimping safety standards in favour of bigger profits. However nuclear power is not so nearly carbon efficient when one factors in build and decommissioning costs. It’s also difficult to imagine how one could dispose of or indeed utilise waste which is toxic for tens of thousands of years, in any social system or with any known science. The most tempting solution would be to lob the stuff into space, however the consequences of a rocket explosion on launch or in the stratosphere hardly bear thinking about. Socialism might very well decide, for this reason alone, that nuclear power is just too hot to handle and look to a combination of other technologies, including reduction in energy consumption. – Editors.