Post by celebi on Apr 14, 2011 10:30:06 GMT -5
A new map of data from the 2010 U.S. Census shows that the number of people living within the 10-mile emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants rose by 17 percent in the past decade, compared with an overall increase of less than 10 percent in the U.S. population.
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Why would the population rise sharply near nuclear power plants, even in lower-growth states outside the Sun Belt? One reason could be normal population expansion, with previously unoccupied areas being filled in. Another reason: Nuclear reactors use water for cooling, from lakes, rivers or oceans, so the reactors are typically built on waterfront property. Is the sun rising or setting over the ocean any less beautiful if you can also see a cooling tower?
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Why would the population rise sharply near nuclear power plants, even in lower-growth states outside the Sun Belt? One reason could be normal population expansion, with previously unoccupied areas being filled in. Another reason: Nuclear reactors use water for cooling, from lakes, rivers or oceans, so the reactors are typically built on waterfront property. Is the sun rising or setting over the ocean any less beautiful if you can also see a cooling tower?
Source
As they shopped for waterfront property, McCurdy said, the nuclear power plant figured into their thinking mostly in terms of whether it could be seen through the bay window.
Is that all people worry about Nuclear Reactors? Usually the explanation is that there is radiation exposure in our day-to-day life, while we travel on plane, taking an Xray, etc. And living near nuclear reactor is not a bigger risk than those radiation exposures.
But personally, I would not prefer to stay near reactor. Today, the research study would say that it is alright to be exposed to those levels. And few years later, there will be a study that says that we should not have been exposed to those levels. I would rather err on the side of caution.
What are your thoughts?
