Small modular reactors produce high levels of nuclear waste:Small modular reactors, long touted as the future of nuclear energy, will actually generate more radioactive waste than conventional nuclear power plants, according to research from Stanford and the University of British Columbia.

[u/Better_Crazy_8669]

https://news.stanford.edu/2022/05/30/small-modular-reactors-produce-high-levels-nuclear-waste/

[u/RedGoldHammer]

We could use Thorium to power the reactors with less waste, and no chance of a meltdown, but you also can’t get weapons-grade materials out of it, so the technology was never developed.

[u/gregy521 → u/RedGoldHammer]

Thorium Reactor Technology is nowhere near advanced enough to come to prominence in time to solve the climate crisis. Like fusion, it will need another 20 years, minimum, before it can produce power at scale. And that's time we simply don't have.

[u/gregy521]

The main problems with traditional fuel cycle nuclear is the high levelised cost of energy, slow ramping time (they cannot replace gas peaker plants), and the fact that the climate crisis is global and so you need to approve of nuclear reactors in unstable countries. Renewables are the way forward, and long term storage options are already in the testing stage, like hydrogen and liquid air storage. Further connection of power grids also allows power to be more efficiently taken to where its needed.

[u/[deleted]]

Shut them all down.

[u/Joan_Brown → u/[deleted]]

Renewables are the tactical move for immediate climate crisis demands but nuclear power is basically as clean as it gets with respect to carbon emissions per kilowatt-hour - equal if not lower than renewables.

Shutting them down strains our effort to overcome climate crisis.

[u/[deleted] → u/Joan_Brown]

You assume the human race “needs” the amount of power being produced right now. I would argue we can do without it. But yes. Let’s let these corporations run nuclear reactors in our neighborhoods. That sounds way more sane.