Does the prospect of nuclear disaster still frighten anyone these days?

[Bob Kelso]

If I die in nuclear fire then, hey, shit happens. If I survive then I'll be committing my life to LARP as a Fallout character.

[abaris]

I fear that two possibilities are all too likely.
One, that some terrorist gets his hands on a nuke and uses it on a city.
Two, a regime is run by a madman and decides to nuke an enemy.

Neither seems unlikely enough.

Doesn't seem that likely either. It's not enough to obtain a nuke, you also need a carrier system. Now if we're talking dirty bomb, it's a different matter. That's certainly possible.

And we already have a nuclear regime run by a madman. North Korea. You'd need a suicidal madman for something dangerous to happen. And even then it's highly unlikely that a single suicidal madman can simply push the button without anyone else not wanting to die stopping him.

[Joods]

One thing no one has touched on here is disaster resulting from a Nuclear Power Plant. Does TMI (Three Mile Island) or Chernobyl ring a bell?
I live approximately 25 miles away from TMI. I also happen to live approximately 25 miles away from two other Nuclear Power Plants. The schools that are inside the "disaster zone" listed in the phone books, have parents sign a paper every year allowing for the distribution of Potassium Iodide pills to students in the event of a nuclear reaction. The disaster zone is a 10 mile radius from the NPP.

Good times... good times.

[abaris]

The disaster zone is a 10 mile radius from the NPP.

Good times... good times.

Or so they want you to believe. Truth is, noone can say for sure. See Fukushima or Thschernobil for references. When Tschernobil blew up, the fallout was carried all over Central Europe, with radioactive rainfall setting in around the first of may.

Fukushima finally turned the tables, at least in Europe, where most of the countries now have plans to get rid of nuclear power within the next two decades.

[Joods]

The disaster zone is a 10 mile radius from the NPP.

Good times... good times.

Or so they want you to believe. Truth is, noone can say for sure. See Fukushima or Thschernobil for references. When Tschernobil blew up, the fallout was carried all over Central Europe, with radioactive rainfall setting in around the first of may.

Fukushima finally turned the tables, at least in Europe, where most of the countries now have plans to get rid of nuclear power within the next two decades.

Correct. Hence the sarcasm in "good times"

Not the most pleasant thought knowing I am sandwiched near not one, not two but THREE power plants. But apparently people in this area don't seem to care much about anything other than drinking on weekends and knowing how to avoid sobriety check points.

[AFTT47]

I'm not worried about an all-out nuclear exchange between super-powers but I wouldn't be surprised if there is a limited event because of North Korea. A nuclear bomb on Seoul would be pretty horrific.

I think nuclear weapons in possession of the super-powers actually makes the world safer because it makes war between them impractical.

[robvalue]

I'm surprised Americans haven't managed to twist the second amendment so they can have a nuke each in their back yard.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I'm surprised Americans haven't managed to twist the second amendment so they can have a nuke each in their back yard.

[robvalue]

Oops...

Shouldn't have put that out there should I?

[Thumpalumpacus]

I generally try not to take broad swipes at the entire people of a nation, especially when there's a good discussion going on.