But radiation is everywhere: as in TVs, the sun, cell phones...

Energy is often "radiated", or "radiant". Nuclear plants produce and release ionizing radiation, which is much different. Ionizing radiation has several levels or forms, but in general it is an energy that damages the smallest components of organic material. Anything living will be damaged by ionizing radiation. In the past, nuclear operators claimed that ionizing radiation had to be at a certain level in order to cause harm. Below this "threshold", ionizing radiation was said to be benign, or even helpful. That is absolutely false. A long lived series of conferences by high level scientists called BIER has shown that there is no level of safe exposure to ionizing radiation. Greater exposure leads to greater damage, but smaller doses are undeniably damaging.

Is nuclear power able to slow down global warming?

Nuclear operators, such as AmerenUE, are now claiming that nuclear power is the "clean" energy. This is, at best, a misleading statement. Nuclear reactors do not emit carbon dioxide, as coal plants do. But the mining, enrichment, transport, storage, and waste managment all emit carbon. In other words, the carbon emissions in coal are mostly during its firing in electric plants. With nuclear-based electricity, the carbon emission comes mostly from its mining, enrichment, and trasnport. Mining and enrichment of uranium, for example, are some of the most fossil fuel intensive industrial operations in the world.

Secondly, there is more to enviromental managment than global warming. A cooler planet may become untenable in the presence of radiation, for example. Nuclear electricty production releases radiation at each step in the fuel cycle. That means when the uranium is pulled from the earth: radiation releases. When the uranium less than %5 of the ore extracted) is leached off the remaining material with acid: radiation releases. In fact, very little of the radiating material is actually "used up" during the fuel cycle. This leaves intensely hot (phsycially and radiatively) waste that poses an immediate and almost eternal danger to all organic material, including humans.

Finally, there is a history that must be recalled. Nuclear operators have spent the last sixty years kicking and squealing that enviromental codes are too strict for them to operate profitably. Every nuclear waste site in the U.S. is leaking, and almost all are at maximum capacity. Almost a third of U.S. reactors are leaking or have leaked trilium into the ground around their sites. There is an irony (that is instructive) in nuclear operators now claiming it is a clean industry.

Isn't Nuclear Powered Electricity Cheaper

No. Not even with the massive subsidies that nuclear power recieves (see our information section on this website). Nuclear-reactor electrcity is much more expensive than coal or wind.

Nuclear Power Provides Jobs to Mid-Missourians

Employement is part of any electrical plant. We are not advocating that our state stop using electricty, after all. When AmerenUE does expand or replace its current electrical plants, it will involve employment regardless of what type of facility they build. That said, working at a nuclear plant is demonstratably not great employment. Increases in exposure to ionizing radiation has serious health effects. Most often workers also live near the plant, which reduces their property value and exposing their family to more ionizing radiation. There is also risks of accidents, beyond what is ordinary in other industries. Wind power, available in northern Missouri, is shown to increase the land value of Missouri farmers in the area. Farmers can lease space for turbines while still farming their fields as usual. This benefits the farmer, and the community through taxes on the increased property value.