Twenty years have passed since the meltdown at Chernobyl. Paul Fusco faces the dark legacy of the modern technological nightmare that continues to plague those exposed to its destructive radiation.

http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/chernobyl

and obomber (nickname for obama) is pimping for these fools

Marty, Nuclear plants in the USA and Chernobyl are two different animals. Chernobyl was a defective design that was not used in the USA or in any other western nations to generate power to the best of my knowledge. Nuclear energy has an excellent record and if you believe in Global warming and such it is the only answer of consequence at the moment.

Nuclear power could make great inroads on getting the USA off foreign oil and the pitfalls associated with that. The technology is here now and not 10, 20 or more years away. The costs are known and they are competitive. A good part of the western world is way ahead of the USA in the utilization of Nuclear as a source of electricity. Belize itself gets some of its power from a Mexican Nuclear Power Plant if my memory serves me correctly.

The cons of nuclear power are waste but with a change in policies to allow recycling in the USA and either moving ahead with Yucca Mountain or a few other ideas it is a problem that is very manageable.

I'm not convinced that the President is really in favor of moving in this diretion but we will see. We don't need 2 new Nuclear Plants we need 50.

What we really need is research into harnessing fusion power, not the fission which has so far been the basis of all peaceful uses of nuclear power. Once we can use fusion the world's energy shortages will truly be on their way to being over.

Peter, You may be right I know little to nothing about fusion power. I do know that Nuclear Power is here now and has been for about 40+ years generating electricity in the USA. I know that outside of 3 mile Island there has not been an accident of consequence in the USA. I know that 3 mile Island was bad but there was not a single death from it and no injuries that I remember. I know that since the event at 3 Mile Island many new and better safe guards have been put in place.

Today by coincidence, I was visiting a Nuclear Plant where they demonstrated their simulator to me and 2 engineers I was introducing to the plant personnel. Prior to 3 Mile Island they didn't feel the need to have a simulator. The simulator I interacted with today was an exact duplicate of the plant control room and cost about 30 mil. They have a large staff of engineers whose only job is to train, retrain and retrain their personnel. I’ve been around fossil power plants for 45+ years and I’m quite confident in the ability of Nuclear Power to serve us safety for many years to come. I am not Nuclear qualified and ask questions just like anybody. I make very little money from the nuclear plants I visit and my opinion has nothing to do with monetary gain. As a matter of fact I’m about 10 months from retiring and I’m only interested because I think it is the right thing to do now. Nuclear Plants are probably less than 1% of my work. If something comes along later I will re-evaluate my position.

PS I’m glad to see Marty back to USA Chat.

I lived in what was West Germany during the Chernobyl disaster, maybe that explains something....