What they said. ^
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brb Learn Ukrainian and prepare for a referendum, Tue 16 May 2023, 19:13,
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The devil is in the details
Or in this particular case, the footnotes:
“As a general clarification, ounce for ounce, coal ash released from a power plant delivers more radiation than nuclear waste shielded via water or dry cask storage.”
So we’re comparing apples and oranges, then implying that one of those is a banana.
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wheresthefish Partly filled with wrong, Tue 16 May 2023, 20:49,
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Only if you don't understand.
A coal power plant releases more radiation than a nuclear plant, as your numbers clarify.
Mining practically anything releases Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (mostly radon gas but also some much nastier stuff).
Refining practically anything that's mined also produces NORMs. But unlike oil and gas, the burning of coal also produces NORMs.
Unlike with nuclear power stations, coal waste is just chucked into the environment. It's packed full of other nasty poisons and pollutants. It has (at least indirectly) contributed to the deaths of *millions* of people, and has a terrible effect on biodiversity and habitat loss. Coal is the worst of the worst. Best left buried.
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brb Learn Ukrainian and prepare for a referendum, Tue 16 May 2023, 21:08,
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Not disputing that
I’m disputing whether the effect is significant enough to warrant mentioning it whether it’s just another radiation scare story.
“At one extreme, the scientists estimated fly ash radiation in individuals' bones at around 18 millirems ”
For comparison:
“Each banana can emit .01 millirem” - source: www.epa.gov/radtown/natural-radioactivity-food
So a worst case estimate makes it equivalent to 1800 bananas. Or three per day.
I think you may need some perspective.
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wheresthefish Partly filled with wrong, Tue 16 May 2023, 23:02,
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