Nuclear Power and a World in Hot Water

image
Published: 18 Aug, 2012
1 min read

Is it  a good idea to put floating and underground nuclear power plants in ocean water that is already heating up, when these plants need large amounts of water for cooling? Even non-nuclear inland power plants are affected by drought and lack of usable water.

During a recent heat waves, a power plant in Illinois had to shut down because it was overheating due to its cooling water intake pipe being blocked with dead fish killed by low water levels.

They were delicious, by the way.

And then there was the nuclear power plant in Connecticut that had to shut down because it was overheating because cooling water from the Long Island Sound was too hot.

No dead fish, but no meltdown, so who's complaining?

So does that mean we're a planet that's increasingly in hot water?

Some scientists seem to think so, and some of the scientists who think so, think that nuclear power is an answer, and some of the scientists who think that think that the best place to put a new generation of nuclear power plants  is in the oceans that are already getting warmer.

That'll work, right?

The French plan to put underwater nuke plants in the English Channel. The French are not alone in the underwater nuke thing. The Russians are into it, too, only their nukes float. This floating Russian nuke plant uses a pair of 70 MW reactors originally designed for submarines.

IVP Donate

Russian and French nuclear power, floating or submerged, wherever there's water.

Global warming has its benefits, even if you don't believe in it -- it's done wonders for Vermont weather.

You Might Also Like

Group of people standing outside in DC.
Ranked Choice Voting Survives Delay Attempts in DC
According to reporting from The Washington Informer and WUSA9 (CBS), D.C. Councilmember Wendell Felder (D Ward 7) has withdrawn his emergency legislation that would have required the D.C. Board of Elections (DCBOE) to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment before implementing ranked choice voting (RCV) in 2026. Felder’s proposal did not receive enough support from his colleagues during the council’s December 2 legislative meeting, following a breakfast discussion earlier that morning....
04 Dec, 2025
-
3 min read
Bob Foster
Remembering Bob Foster
Independent Voter News is saddened to share the passing of Bob Foster, a trusted advisor to the Independent Voter Project and a longtime friend of our organization. He died on Sunday at the age of 78....
04 Dec, 2025
-
2 min read
Caution tape with US Capitol building in the background.
Did the Republicans or Democrats Start the Gerrymandering Fight?
The 2026 midterm election cycle is quickly approaching. However, there is a lingering question mark over what congressional maps will look like when voters start to cast their ballots, especially as Republicans and Democrats fight to obtain any electoral advantage possible. ...
11 Nov, 2025
-
8 min read