Nuclear Needs Water
Some Nuclear power plants in Alabama and Tennessee have been shut down because of drought and others in the southesast may be shut down if the drought continues.
If you are wondering what a drought has to do with running a nuclear power plant -- the answer is they use water and lots of it. Nuclear power plants use water when they are operating, when they are shut down, and in the event of an accident water availability can be critical.
All types of nuclear power plants withdraw large amounts of water from nearby lakes, rivers and oceans leaving the water warmer and lifeless when it is returned back to its source. New nuclear reactors being considered, if built would need more than 1,140,000 gallons of water per minute.
Fish larvae and other forms of aquatic life are strained from the water as it travels through thousands of metal tubes to become steam that turns the turbines to make electricity, then back through the system to be cooled and returned to its source.
A 2005 study found that one coastal power plant in Southern California impinged nearly 3-and-a-half million fish in just one year.
And there are other unsolved problems with nuclear power, including disposal of radioactive waste, pollution of ground water with uranium mining, and safety risks of operating the plants.
Clean, renewable sources for energy come without any of these risks. Let your local, state and national representatives know you want the focus for energy placed on wind and solar, not nuclear power.