> also don't suffer from catastrophic or significant accidental releases
We've had a countable number of catastrophes and are getting better at building safer reactors (G IV reactors are modulated by physics).
Regardless, Chernobyl is estimated to be currently claiming 4000 lives per year worldwide[1], while coal power plants are claiming 7500 lives per year in America alone.[2] Nuclear meltdowns are very scary events. Merely running a coal power plant is a far scarier.
We've had a countable number of catastrophes and are getting better at building safer reactors (G IV reactors are modulated by physics).
Regardless, Chernobyl is estimated to be currently claiming 4000 lives per year worldwide[1], while coal power plants are claiming 7500 lives per year in America alone.[2] Nuclear meltdowns are very scary events. Merely running a coal power plant is a far scarier.
[1]: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2005/pr38/en/ [2]: http://www.catf.us/fossil/problems/power_plants/