Simply say "NO" to Nuclear Power

The radioactive waste from nuclear power stays dangerous for thousands of years. I assume the vast majority of people know about the dangers of radioactive waste. However, do we really think about the risk of storing this dangerous, life-threatening, toxic material? How long have people been able to keep anything in good repair?

The levees along the Mississippi River were built by the Army Corp of Engineers. Their engineering feat was truly remarkable. At the time they were so confident in their engineering that homes and entire towns were built in floodplains previously considered unsafe because of dangerous flooding. The levees were built 80 years ago. BUT several years they failed. We saw pictures of towns underwater. What happened? The levees were NOT MAINTAINED. As tax laws changed over time and government entities had less money they did not spend the money to complete the maintenance and repairs needed for the levee system. The richest, most advance nation on Earth did not keep their great engineering accomplishment in good shape. The levees failed because of our neglect.

Maybe the private sector could do a better job?! The objective of the private sector, i.e. businesses is to make a profit. There is incentive to cut corners to reduce costs. By cutting costs you can make more money. The mining disaster last week is the most recent of numerous examples of the race to maximize profits leading to people dieing. The mining company had a history of safety violations.

I see no evidence that our society has evolved to point that it can keep even our best engineered projects safe for 80 years, therefore, I have NO CONFIDENCE that we can keep radioactive waste safely contained for 1000's of years!

We must simply say, "NO" to Nuclear Power!!!