What are we doing with nuclear waste?
Given that I’ve worked in the nuclear industry for quite a while, I have a certain perspective on the waste that it produces. I was interested to hear other perspective so I sat down with another nuclear researcher and a sustainability expert to find some alternative point of view.
Funnily enough, although I’ve been working with waste produced by the nuclear industry one way or another for over a decade, if someone asked me to draw a picture of it, my drawing might be very different to a drawing done by someone. The waste is made up of lots of different things and it means different things to different people. I suspect that very few people could draw an accurate picture of nuclear waste, not least because of its heterogeneity but also because it’s usually hidden away.
For a different perspective, Cara’s research around social value of nuclear engineering projects is fascinating. From her interactions with others in the industry, those who have been working with nuclear waste for decades are looking at a long-term solution that will affect generations in the future so it requires careful thought. Essentially, this is an inter-generational issue with lots of social impacts. Antonia’s expertise in sustainability means that she is interested in feasible energy sources for a sustainable future. Her work involves looking at environmental impact so she’s…
