***crickets***?!?

Hard to argue for nuclear energy when shown how hard it is to "clean up" Fukushima ...

When you add up all the radiation that is blanketing the planet, thanks to us..
Hanford contamination, for decades, into the Columbia River.
Fukishima, where ever the wind blows, where ever the tide goes
Chernobyl
All the depleted uranium in the Middle East

just for starters

Thanks for mentioning depleted uranium. I've had some DUers argue that depleted uranium is NOT radioactive and NOT dangerous...

What they (correctly) state is that it's much less radioactive than natural uranium (get this... it's "depleted&quot ... which is all around us already.

There has never been a scientific study indicating any radiological danger from DU. It's dangers fall into two clear categories:

* - It's a heavy metal, like lead, and (just like lead) it's not a good idea to eat the stuff.

* - It's deadly when traveling really fast.

a number of people who've argued that DU is not radioactive and not dangerous to our troops.

IMHO, the MIC has done much to misinform and mislead us about DU. I've archived some articles from my activism against the Iraq invasion. I'm sure if you use the Google, you'll find articles about the dangers of DU, particularly when it 'aerosols.'

to ingest or inhale. While the levels of radiation may not be dangerous when outside your body, no amount of radiation is safe inside your body where your organs are not protected by muscle and skin.

"Once a depleted-uranium round strikes its target, the projectile begins to burn on impact, creating tiny particles of radioactive U-238. Winds can transport this radioactive dust many miles, potentially contaminating the air that innocent humans breathe. This inhalation may cause lung cancer, kidney damage, cancers of bones and skin, as well as birth defects and chemical poisoning."

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1211-22.htm

You say, "it's not a good idea to eat the stuff" like we wouldnt figure that out. But depleted uranium in the dirt can easily find it's way onto hands and into the mouth esp for children.

Better tell that to your body... which is itself radioactive.

Plus the air you breath is radioactive... as is much of the food and drink that you consume.

The relevant question is "how much radiation dose would DU inhalation/ingestion add compared to that amount?" (and the relevant answer is "not much".)

But depleted uranium in the dirt can easily find it's way onto hands and into the mouth esp for children.

Sure. And pretty much anything else we would make bullets out of would also be potentially toxic to children if they pick it up off the ground and eat it. It isn't uncommon for the things that we use to kill other people to be dangerous to one degree or another.

But it isn't a radiological danger. Let alone the WMD that the nuts would have you believe.