Why is nuclear power considered to be a “clean” energy source when its waste is so contaminating/dangerous?

Question

Like. Nuclear waste/disasters contaminate areas for thousands of years and cause cancer. Why is that “clean”?

In: 9

Answer 1

All types of mines contaminate areas for a long time too. Coal is pretty radioactive in its own right.

Nuclear power is considered clean because it has a small carbon footprint, pretty much comparable to renewable energy.

It’s not waste-free, of course – no energy production is, and generally speaking renewable energy might be the cheaper source for energy nowadays than nuclear is. Building maximally safe and effective nuclear power plants is very expensive.