this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2023
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Hundreds of people march in Seoul to protest against plans to release nuclear wastewater into the ocean.

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[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Always nice to see the discussions about throwing waste into the ocean.

  • Plastic waste: Oh no, we can't do that.
  • Chemicals: Oh no, we can't do that.
  • Old tires: Oh no, we can't do that.
  • Household waste: Oh no, we can't do that.
  • Raw sewage: Oh no, we can't do that.
  • Nuclear waste: It's save, ignore the nuclear scary folks.

Technically, throwing any waste in the ocean is save. We started doing it decades ago, as it seemed a good plan. It gets diluted below appreciable levels as the ocean is large.
Yet our current plans are to reduce and not do it, as rivers, lakes, oceans are no trash cans. We learned that over the last decades, as once allowed and accustomed, it just gets more and gets accepted as common practise. Everyone starts doing the same, as it's such an easy way out.

The problem now is the reverse on that intend – obviously due to the lack of a better or any good alternative at all. But just because all options are bad, it doesn't make this one good. No officially declared waste disposal strategy should involve throwing it in the water.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

It's nuclear wastewater, not spent nuclear material. It's more benign than bathwater.