“Hydropower is safe and nuclear power stations are dangerous”
In
fact, the reverse is the case. Per TW-year of electricity generated, the
figures are: for 0.04 deaths for nuclear, 1.4 for hydropower and 160 for
coal-fired generation. (New Zealand generates about 0.005 TW-year of
electricity per year.)
Large
hydropower needs large dams – much larger than any in New Zealand – and they
pose a major long-term threat to the environment and populations downstream.
