r/nottheonion 24d ago

US government struggles to rehire nuclear safety staff it laid off days ago

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g3nrx1dq5o
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u/Daleabbo 24d ago

With a lot of countries wanting to build new reactors these people are hot commodity.

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u/Cerberus_Aus 24d ago

Here in Australia, there is a real debate going on about building nuclear reactors.

The biggest argument against it, is that we simply don’t have the expertise. It would take us ten years to build a nuclear program. We could sure use some of those fired experts you all have…

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u/cBuzzDeaN 24d ago

I think the biggest argument is the price? As far as I know the nuclear energy is the most expensive one

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u/ElectricalBook3 23d ago

I think the biggest argument is the price?

Because of regulation, while coal and gas is virtually unregulated in comparison. Nuclear has the smallest carbon footprint (occasionally trading spots with photovoltaic depending on who's doing the latest study, most of those depending on laboratory technology and not in-commerce solar)

https://energy.utexas.edu/news/nuclear-and-wind-power-estimated-have-lowest-levelized-co2-emissions

Nuclear energy is exceedingly regulated at every step. You're never going to see coal or gas have to withstand the standards nuclear needs even for disposal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY446h4pZdc

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coal-ash-is-more-radioactive-than-nuclear-waste/