Jampole, M. (2014, September 2). Nrc storage decision may lead to building of more dangerous   nuclear power plants. Retrieved September 7, 2014, from OpEdNews.com website:          http://www.opednews.com/articles/NRC-storage-decision-may-l-by-Marc-Jampole-      Nuclear-Energy-Plants_Nuclear-Regulatory-Commission_President-            Obama_Radioactivity-140902-662.html?show=votes#allcomments

 

The NRC’s decision to allow power plants to store waste in above ground casks is a mistake. Using nuclear power for electricity is dangerous, and less money will be spent on solar and wind energy. With a half- life of 25,000 years, some waste will continue to exist far into the future, posing a threat to future civilizations. We should not leave the problem of spent nuclear fuel to future generation, no matter how far in the future a problem could arise.

 

This article highlights an important environmental and economic moral debate: whether is it ethical to leave problems of today to future generations. Despite the NRC’s ruling, the casks will not last forever, and may pose a problem much further in the future than we could predict. However, one also has to be realistic. Who knows what life will be like in 25,000 years, and if human life even survives that long, small amounts of nuclear waste stored safely in casks would probably not be a major concern. As of now and the foreseeable future, nuclear energy is more viable than any solar or wind options.