首先,核废料的环境污染的风险可控。
放射性的核废料,尤其是spent nuclear fuel,如果妥善保存并隔离很长的时间,可减少对环境产生影响 (It is widely accepted that spent nuclear fuel and high-level reprocessing and plutonium wastes require well-designed storage for long periods of time, to minimize releases of the contained radioactivity into the environment.[1])。
公众很容易被媒体或反核团体的言论影响(毕竟事关自己以及后代的生命)。但是地质学专家的观点是,将核废料地下储藏是安全的 [1]。
Despite a long-standing agreement among many experts that geological disposal can be safe, technologically feasible and environmentally sound, a large part of the general public in many countries remains skeptical.
The ability of natural geologic barriers to isolate radioactive waste is demonstrated by the natural nuclear fission reactors at Oklo, Africa. During their long reaction period about 5.4 tonnes of fission products as well as 1.5 tonnes of plutonium together with other transuranic elements were generated in the uranium ore body. This plutonium and the other transuranics remained immobile until the present day, a span of almost 2 billion years. This is quite remarkable in view of the fact that ground water had ready access to the deposits and they were not in a chemically inert form, such as glass.
另一方面,spent nuclear fuel是可以重复利用的,使其可以产生更多的能量 (Spent nuclear fuel is a valuable asset, not simply waste.[1])。
这个论点的隐蔽假设包括:
针对隐蔽假设的反向立场:“核废料确实有污染环境的风险,但我们仍然需要建造核电站”。
首先,核废料的环境污染的风险可控。 放射性的核废料,尤其是spent nuclear fuel,如果妥善保存并隔离很长的时间,可减少对环境产生影响 (It is widely accepted that spent nuclear fuel and high-level reprocessing and plutonium wastes require well-designed storage for long periods of time, to minimize releases of the contained radioactivity into the environment.[1])。 公众很容易被媒体或反核团体的言论影响(毕竟事关自己以及后代的生命)。但是地质学专家的观点是,将核废料地下储藏是安全的 [1]。
另一方面,spent nuclear fuel是可以重复利用的,使其可以产生更多的能量 (Spent nuclear fuel is a valuable asset, not simply waste.[1])。
进而,在对环境污染严格控制的情况下,核电站的好处巨大。 大家都知道,核电站的能量巨大,效率高。除此之外,核电站核电站非放射性污染对环境的冲击(比如温室效应几乎为零),其实比传统的煤油气发电站的冲击还要小很多[1]。在核废料严格把控以及有效规避灾难性事故的情况下,其实甚至对环境有好处。 同时必须意识到,严格把控和有效规避的情况,是潜在的巨大的“黑天鹅”,一旦发生,就是灾难。但这个风险理论上是已知的,并且可以控制的:
综上所述,核电站的核废料对环境的污染是可控的,除此之外核电站其他的好处巨大。建造核电厂极其重要的考量因素是如何做到废料的回收储藏重复利用,和如何有效规避事故。
潜在风险不是我们不去做一件有意义的事情的理由。如果这件事情有意义,在急于否定它之前,要深入了解风险,研究如何规避这个潜在风险。
不然,你不做,别人研究之后做了,你就落后了。
[1]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_nuclear_power [2]. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/核电厂