It is completely inexcusable that people in STEM fields are so reactionary, considering how capitalism utterly destroys science.

If universities were actually "left wing indoctrination factories" like the right thinks they are, every STEM grad would be taught, for example, what Kropotkin had to say about innovation.

  • crispyhexagon [none/use name]
    5·
    4 years ago

    do go on about how drinking nuclear waste is super great for my health. by comparison or whatever. maybe with batteries even. such a compelling argument.

    im sure those wind turbine blades are just awful. so many tonnes of fiberglass. oh no.

    • unperson [he/him]
      2·
      4 years ago

      Ideed. Five tonnes of fiberglass that contains water-soluble epoxy that cannot be recycled per blade. All to produce 0.3 MW of power and be thrown away after 20 years.

      Compare to a depleted uranium fuel bundle, that weights ~100 tons, produces over 3000 MW of power and lasts around 7 years before it needs to be reprocessed. Because yes, unlike turbine blades, it's recyclable.

      • crispyhexagon [none/use name]
        3·
        4 years ago

        neat. wind turbine blade technology can certainly be improved and made less wasteful. nuclear, baring significant advancements in fusion tech, will always pose a serious danger because its waste products will kill you.

        but no really do go on acting like im unaware, or that i even advocated for wind tech in the first place.

        • unperson [he/him]
          1·
          4 years ago

          or that i even advocated for wind tech in the first place

          I'm sorry? It was you who brought up the wind turbines.

          Your 'technology will fix it' argument is ridiculous, you're pitting toxic plastic recycling technology that doesn't exist against toxic uranium reprocessing technology that has existed for decades (though unprofitable) and needs a scale *500 times smaller..

          • crispyhexagon [none/use name]
            4·
            4 years ago

            no. i didnt.

            You do realise that producing solar panels and wind turbines creates orders of magnitude more toxic waste than a nuclear power plant, right? Before involving any batteries.

            see that part where you brought it up?

            also, good second strawman there on me saying anything about recycling plastics. 🙄

            • unperson [he/him]
              1·
              4 years ago

              Oh, okay. What is your preferred alternative to nuclear?

              Edit: or to non plastic materials for a massive wind turbine, I suppose.

                • unperson [he/him]
                  1·
                  4 years ago

                  I was hoping they'd reply before I went to sleep 😕

                  • crispyhexagon [none/use name]
                    3·
                    4 years ago

                    the answer is: its irrelevant.

                    first off, not my job to solve the issues of wind or solar tech on a fucking internet forum.

                    secondly and more importantly, the point is that nuclear waste is bad not that its the worst possible thing int he world ever.

                    lets assume only coal power existed. that was the only power source. would you argue we should use it, even knowing all the obvious issues with coal?

                    nuclear waste is bad, has had a detrimental effect on my life and the lives of people i know, ergo i do not support nuclear fission energies. its not that fucking hard to understand.

                    edit: ohhh no i stepped away for a whole hour to deal with real life shit, how terrible, i must have been owned so hard kristina. fuck off