I'm going to say something that will label me crazy, foolish or misinformed.

[Locut0s]

Post Fukashima, I still support nuclear power as a major alternative to fossil fuels.

I said it.

And despite almost certainly being labelled crazy, foolish, and misinformed, I think I'm quite the opposite.

There are a LOT of contingencies I place on my support of course. It's not a blanket, "carte Blanche" form of support.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Locut0s...

I understand your point of view pretty well. And up to a point, I agree.

There ARE problems, and they have not been adequately dealt with, up till now.

If we are to really use nuclear power, then it is essential that we make it safer.

[applegrove]

2. I used to think nuclear power was

an environmentally safe alternative. Till my sister pointed out to me that spent fuel rods are waste and they stay dangerous for almost ever.

[Igel]

4. France has recycled them.

Process them to remove most of of the remaining fuel--spent fuel rods still contain most of their fuel. Reprocess them to remove some other useful stuff.

Reuse the inert materials, since they're already contaminated. This reduces the amount of waste by quite a bit.

Personally, I'd like to see the remaining radioactive bits encased in something stable and then dumped next to oceanic subduction zones. It may take a hundred thousand years before they're pulled under, but they'll go down.

[RobertEarl]

3. Post Fukushima

You should know that the former prime minister of Japan, Naoto Kan, who was PM during the Fukushima blow up, used to feel the same as you.

Used to. Having seen the damage up close and being made privy to more information than anyone of us will ever know, he now wants Japan to quit using any nuclear power whatsoever. So, there is that.

[Union Scribe]

7. And here's what you get from that idea:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/16/world/asia/japan-shelves-plan-to-slash-emissions-citing-fukushima.html?_r=0

TOKYO — Japan took a major step back on Friday from earlier pledges to slash its greenhouse gas emissions, saying a shutdown of its nuclear power plants in the wake of the Fukushima disaster had made previous targets unattainable. The announcement cast a shadow over international talks underway in Warsaw aimed at fashioning a new global pact to address the threats of a changing climate.

Japan has set itself back decades in its emissions goals. Job well done brave nuke-fighters.

[safeinOhio]

5. I can support nuclear power when it becomes safe enough

that insurance companies will insure the plants.

[Union Scribe]

6. You're not crazy.

Nuclear needs to be a part of the baseload electricity providers well into the future. And it will be. And we will have better reactors with even more passive safeties and better fuels. Thorium molten salt reactors, TRIGAs, modular fabrication, gen 3/3+, using both private and public research and development avenues.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. I'll agree when it isn't 19th century steam power with a newfangled fire.