Japan's Nuclear Crisis and Future of Nuclear Energy

What are your thoughts about nuclear energy?

The Nuclear Issues over in Japan really aren't that bad in my honest opinion.

Due to the coolant losses their fuel rods are still overheating a bit from the last I've heard, but there is minimal radiation exposure still.

What many people fail to realize is that the coolant water and the air does NOT become radioactive, it actually just carries the radiated particles, which disperse into near nothingness.

There was quite a bit more radiation exposure at Cherylnobl, and people were evacuated -after the fact-, as opposed to immediately which is what was done in Japan. In the Cherylnobl disaster, those affected by radiation only suffered from a 1.8% greater chance to get cancer at some point in their lives. The difference between 20% and 21.8% (approx) is not very significant to me.

Aside from their systems being compromised, I think Japan is handling this well, and the world doesn't need to freak out as bad as it is. I'm aware that this is because many people don't understand nuclear energy and what it entails, but this is NOT a nuclear bomb waiting to explode, it is in fact quite different.

(7 Reactors in Germany were shut down due to widespread panic...just makes me kind of sad really....)