Gweneth Cravens is a writer and journalist, and was a anti-nuclear activist. She met and debated the merits of nuclear power with Dr. D. Richard (Rip) Anderson over the course of many years, and eventually one day Rip asked her: “Why don’t you go on an American nuclear power tour?” This book is the result of that journey.

This book starts out with her background, and her suspicions, her initial interactions with Rip, and then a chapter by chapter walk through the life of nuclear power, “cradle to grave”. Many fascinating comparisons with all other viable energy sources are discussed, safety analysis dissected, and places visited.

The short, inescapable conclusion is that nuclear is the only viable, safe, and plentiful power source that can carry us through the coming decades, centries, and millenia while allowing us to undo man-made damage to the climate and environment, foremost of which is global climate change.

A fascinating journey, and arguable one of the most important issues of my generation. 4 of 4 possible stars.

The fact is this: Coal power plants release significantly more radioactive materials into the environment than nuclear power plants.

Here is the best I can find for the primary source, from the Oak Ridge National Lab’s “Review” publication:

http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev26-34/text/colmain.html

In short, coal contains trace elements of many different things. Some of those things are radioactive. Humanity burns allot of coal. Some of it goes up and out the stack of our power plants.

But how to do the numbers work out? You know, it can’t be that much, right? Wrong. Very wrong. According to this article, 100 times the amount of radioactive material is released from a coal plant, versus a nuclear power plant of the same power output rating.

Dang. Breathe in the fresh air, and enjoy.