This article is written as if science had anything to do with the safe disposal of nuclear waste. It is a companion to the article related to an ideal nuclear plant, (and II) again assuming the dominance of science, not politics.
What is really interesting, is the give and take between politics and geology. Lots of towns and cities may be smugly sitting on perfect sites, but they get their clean electricity without having to do anything. Poor, starving towns may want all the money from a waste site, but the geology is crap.
If we allow smug cities to be gated from reality, then politics meter goes to 100%. The site is chosen first by having a pitiful town, then excuses are made for the geology. You see this at Yucca-yucca Mountain, and Bruce. If the geology meter is 100%, then some rich town with good press connections suddenly gets hits, and they scream to high heaven!
You saw this when a report came out earlier in the year that said any town could host a waste site. Everybody screamed! Some loonies made it an election issue! Meanwhile, everybody continued to use their air conditioners.
Ideally, a waste repository would look like this, only underground.
The polished floors really make the picture! This is from a recent happy-happy brochure from the NWMO. In order to actually get this, in suitable geology, we have to set up a manifesto, which every thinking person (and blog fan!) would want to pester them with.
(continued when I'm in the mood again.....)
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