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We talk a lot about how safe domestic nuclear power plants are, but this point really hit home for me when I saw the following in a blog post comparing wind turbine safety to nuclear power plant safety.
“How about wind power? How does it fare compared to the perfect record of the American nuclear power industry? Believe it or not, there is an organization, the Caithness Windfarm Information Forum, that keeps data on wind-power-related accidents and/or design problems. Caithness is based in Great Britain, where homeowners have already grown tired of the noise and other wind-turbine-generated problems. Their “Summary of Wind Turbine Accident Data to 31 December 2008” reports 41 worker fatalities. Most, not unexpectedly, were from falling, as they are typically working on turbines some thirty stories above the ground. In addition, Caithness attributed the deaths of 16 members of the public to wind-turbine accidents.”
As this blog details, wind power is especially unreliable in freezing temperatures, where the threat of ice formation on the turbine blades can cause operational problems and the dangerous phenomenon known as ice throw. Nuclear power isn’t a seasonal technology. Nuclear power plants provide safe CO2 free energy year round, even in harsh winter climates.
While it can’t be denied that wind turbines need to be a part of our domestic energy solution, it is clear that the industry still has several issues to overcome. This New York Times report outlines how the transportation of wind turbine parts to their assembly areas has caused numerous problems. One of the issues is that the oversized wind turbine loads are causing “alligator cracking” of roadways. Repairs to damaged roadways are, of course, left up to the taxpayers.
“Nuclear power isn’t a seasonal technology.” — well put!!
Yes,wind power has its disadvantages, but that does not certainly make nuclear power a saint! All said and done, every Co2 free technology has disadvantages, but we are at a stage where we do not have enough time to develop and optimize an absolutely ideal way of generating and distributing energy. (Afterall, atmospheric Co2 concentrations, by the end of 2007 were already at 385ppm.)
The good news is that natural gas, hydroelectric power and other sources of flexible generation can complement wind’s variability; and many countries in Europe are doing this successfully. (just look at Denmark.)
And as far as safety is concerned, I will say this. No progress can be made without sacrifices and hindrances. Hundreds die in air crashes and road accidents, but that does not stop us from using these modes of transportation!
vscid “No progress can be made without sacrifices and hindrances.”
I work in the Nuclear industry and I am very glad that our managers do not have vscid’s attitude. We place safety as the number one priority, behind profits and production, because in our industry one accident would cost more than all the profits and production gained by unsafe practices could offset. Our safety culture puts us in the position of being the safest form of energy available. That is worth more than our wages to us and we will not give that up just to please a few misguided ideologists.
vscid obviously is not the one who has to put his life or the lives of his coworkers on the line or he would rethink the human cost his attitude carries with it.
“While it can’t be denied that wind turbines need to be a part of our domestic energy solution, …”
Yes, it can be stoutly denied. Wind turbines produce no useful output, vandalize countryside and wilderness, drive humans and livestock crazy, kill birds and bats and drive out other wildlife for four miles in all directions, and generally destroy the environment.
All that they generate is subsidies and tax breaks. In a generation, our children will be wondering what we could possibly have been thinking to do this to ourselves.
Craig thank you for you comments. I have to say that while I agree that wind turbines are ugly, they do produce a useful output. As long as the wind is blowing as anticipated they produce electricity in a way that is far less damaging to the environment than burning coal or natural gas. Our country needs to maintain a diverse mix of energy solutions in order to achieve true energy independence and improve environmental conditions. Supplanting baseload nuclear power with sources such as wind and solar supports the goal of reducing our dependency on foreign energy and reducing our environmental impact.