Every time someone comments in favor of the safety of nuclear energy, I point to incidents like this. Totally manageable. Totally mis-managed -- or, unmanaged.
Sure, maybe technically we know what to do. (Although I find this debatable on the timescales involved.)
But the human factor -- especially at any significant timescale (even just a few decades, or even years, or even in current time and practice). Zero reliability.
Humans have not demonstrated any capacity to properly and reliably manage technology requiring such levels of commitment and diligence.
P.S. This is one reason that corporations should pay significant taxes. Because they should directly bear a significant portion of the costs of such fuck ups, and the preventive mitigation of them (e.g. effective regulation). In order for this to happen, they need to be contributing while they are extant and are making money from the endeavors. If we don't do this, society ends up chasing a non-corporeal ghost after the fact, or even when corporeal, one that no longer has any financial motive to pay. Eventually, the cost ends up being dumped indirectly and indiscriminately upon the general public. And often, the worst of the costs (e.g. health issues) end up being dumped upon those least advantaged and most defenseless.
Sure, maybe technically we know what to do. (Although I find this debatable on the timescales involved.)
But the human factor -- especially at any significant timescale (even just a few decades, or even years, or even in current time and practice). Zero reliability.
Humans have not demonstrated any capacity to properly and reliably manage technology requiring such levels of commitment and diligence.
P.S. This is one reason that corporations should pay significant taxes. Because they should directly bear a significant portion of the costs of such fuck ups, and the preventive mitigation of them (e.g. effective regulation). In order for this to happen, they need to be contributing while they are extant and are making money from the endeavors. If we don't do this, society ends up chasing a non-corporeal ghost after the fact, or even when corporeal, one that no longer has any financial motive to pay. Eventually, the cost ends up being dumped indirectly and indiscriminately upon the general public. And often, the worst of the costs (e.g. health issues) end up being dumped upon those least advantaged and most defenseless.