A Nuclear Future?
When I was 18 (more years ago than I care to admit) I joined the Navy and entered the nuclear field. About half-way through it, I was getting a physical to go with my attempt to get into Annapolis and they decided my blood pressure was too high to even stay in the Navy so they sent me home. I did not finish Nuclear Power School but I got about 2/3 of the way through the classroom phase of the training. When I entered the Navy in 75 Nuclear Power was considered the wave of the future.
Then a few years later Jane Fonda terrified the American people with her anti-nuclear propoganda film, The China Syndrome. This was followed curiously close by a scary sounding, but non-catastrophic "accident" at Three Mile Island (It was a just a few short weeks after the movie was released.) I know enough about reactors to doubt that it was an accident because amongst other things, multiple safeguards had to fail simultaneously. The nature of what happened, combined with the coincidence of timing with the movie, and the failure of multiple safeguards lead to me then to believe, and I still believe, that somebody did this on purpose. I cannot prove it but circumstantial evidence points in that direction.
This led to a serious slowdown of the US nuclear reactor program. I believe that this has resulted in higher energy costs and a greater dependence on foreign fuel because we use petroleum products to produce power at a lot of generators when we could be using nuclear power.
Now President Bush wants to take a second look at nuclear power and I say go for it. This editorial by University of Michigan Flint Campus proffessor Mark J Perry gives reasons why we need to move away from natural gas and toward "clean coal burners" and nuclear power. I know nothing about clean coal burners so I cannot comment on them but I believe reactors can be made safely and run safely if they are run right. Seven states are asking for licences to build reactors and I hope Michigan soon follows suit.
Yes reactors can be dangerous if not handled properly. That is why you let proffessional technicians and engineers run, who know what they're doing, handle them.
Then a few years later Jane Fonda terrified the American people with her anti-nuclear propoganda film, The China Syndrome. This was followed curiously close by a scary sounding, but non-catastrophic "accident" at Three Mile Island (It was a just a few short weeks after the movie was released.) I know enough about reactors to doubt that it was an accident because amongst other things, multiple safeguards had to fail simultaneously. The nature of what happened, combined with the coincidence of timing with the movie, and the failure of multiple safeguards lead to me then to believe, and I still believe, that somebody did this on purpose. I cannot prove it but circumstantial evidence points in that direction.
This led to a serious slowdown of the US nuclear reactor program. I believe that this has resulted in higher energy costs and a greater dependence on foreign fuel because we use petroleum products to produce power at a lot of generators when we could be using nuclear power.
Now President Bush wants to take a second look at nuclear power and I say go for it. This editorial by University of Michigan Flint Campus proffessor Mark J Perry gives reasons why we need to move away from natural gas and toward "clean coal burners" and nuclear power. I know nothing about clean coal burners so I cannot comment on them but I believe reactors can be made safely and run safely if they are run right. Seven states are asking for licences to build reactors and I hope Michigan soon follows suit.
Yes reactors can be dangerous if not handled properly. That is why you let proffessional technicians and engineers run, who know what they're doing, handle them.
posted by shoprat at 9:53 PM
3 Comments:
Totally agree we need safe, clean, nuclear power, and sooner rather than later. I also think solar and wind need to be part of the mix where practical.
Nuclear...yes! We're 10 years behind. Let's get movin!
Tim, good point on solar and wind. I was surprised how high on the list of wind powered states Illinois is.
More nukes would be nice. While the NRC may shorten up the licensing cycle, the lawyers from Green Peace, Sierra, et. al. won't be slowing down one bit.
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