TimmahOnReddit

We have a 5W nuclear reactor in our basement (Texas A&M engineering building). We often make jokes about it powering ant cities.

The Nuclear power industry has this part covered (mostly) because it has to, because there emissions are immediately lethal to everything near it.

What do you mean by "emissions"? If you mean radiation, that is thankfully quite untrue. Radiation tends to get a bad rap, but as far as harmful types you actually get more radiation standing outside/working at a coal plant than at a nuclear plant (radioactive Carbon-14 emissions)

As for the possibility of release of radiation at nuclear plants... There are multiple barriers designed to prevent the release of any harmful radiation including fuel cladding, reactor pressure vessel, primary and secondary coolant loops (Pressurized Water Reactors), and containment buildings!

This is why baseload power plants HATE shutting down. To get a nuclear plant to operating temperature they literally have to run two to four 5-12 MW coolant pumps (depends on plant design) and let them heat up the water through waste heat before they pull the control rods out and start fission in the core.

Austrailia hasn't had that strict of an emissions policy in recent history :(

Wiki: Due to Australia's reliance on coal and gas for energy, in 2000 the country was the highest emitter of greenhouse gases per capita in the developed world, irrespective of whether or not emissions from land clearing were included.

Edit to add: Your comment about ash getting on your car and stuff is gross. I have been to 2 coal plants and haven't noticed that on day trips and I wonder if that's because of capture technology used here (US).

Research!

The simplified equations you learn sophomore year are actually accurate!