Nuclear waste is a pretty small downside, too. The amount produced is tiny compared to the energy you get out.

People will bring up the long life of nuclear waste. It's dangerous for ten thousand years! OK, how long is stuff like mercury and arsenic dangerous for? We accept much worse stuff dumped much less carefully for much less benefit.

While mercury poisoning has affected major ecosystems (it's not a good idea to eat fish you catch in the Great Lakes), it's limited to where the chemical actually is. I suspect the problem with radioactive waste is that it's ranged: you don't have to touch the radioactive source to get a fatal case of acute radiation syndrome.

But it gets spread just about everywhere. Mercury only affects you where it actually is, but it's widespread enough to have significantly contaminated all seafood at this point.

Nuclear waste might get you if you're not actively ingesting it, but you still have to be within, what, a few dozen feet of a large chunk of it?

Most high-level nuclear waste is solid, and contained. You more or less _do_ have to touch it.