There are various advantages cited for this type of reactor, including the claim that it can be stopped easily if things get out of hand, and that it produces less long-lived nuclear waste than the uranium-fuelled fission reactors that are currently in common use.

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The union argues that its workers, having been exposed to uranium, hazardous waste and asbestos for more than 20 years, should expect Honeywell to pay for their health-care plans.

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That figure includes mining uranium, designing power plants and reprocessing waste fuel.

ECONOMIST: Nuclear power

This uses depleted uranium as its power source and is believed to produce less nuclear waste than other designs.

BBC: China and Bill Gates discuss nuclear reactor plan

Once the Uranium is split, you still have massive amounts of long lived radioactive waste products which are still the main danger from current nuclear plants.

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These either burn fossil fuel and thus contribute to global warming, or use uranium, which brings problems such as how to get rid of the waste, as well as political opposition.

ECONOMIST: Power transmission

Radiation is a threat to human health at every stage of the process, from uranium mining to plant operation (even in those new ultra-safe plants) to waste disposal.

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