...well it's been a long time since I've posted here and I still owe a trip report from October which is about finished just have to review and post.
In any event given the recent announcement by BHO regarding Nuclear Energy I figured it was as good a reason to post as any.
Nuclear Energy for me has always been an intriguing topic that I've enjoyed reading about. I've read books and also countless articles on Wikipedia regarding the Manhattan project through today's nuclear reactors. I've read a lot about the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the bombers that dropped the bombs. I've read a lot on Chernobyl and through a lot of the nuclear accidents. I've always been interested in the submarine programs and the extent of accidents involving both US & Soviet subs. Finally there's lot to be read about the long term storage and clean up involved. Am I an expert? No but it's a topic that I like, a lot! :)
Just a side note: While growing up I had relatives that protested Seabrook, NH's power plant and an aunt that "fondly" wrote on letters "Radiation Valley" with the nuke symbol. Though at the time I was far to young to really understand the whole picture.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seabrook_Station_Nuclear_Power_Plant So when I first heard the announcement I was a bit skeptical. Yes energy is a huge issue and we have to look at all options. I feel that Nuclear isn't taboo, it should be used in some circumstances, e.g. space programs have valid uses though there are risks. Of course there's risks in all of it's applications.
There are many questions I think we need to ask, is this a good investment for the US (this is a lot of OUR money!)? Is this going to help us in the long run? Is this going to decrease our dependence on foreign oil? Is this going to decrease emissions? What about the waste?
I can't answer the first of these but let's say for the moment the investment is a good idea. Long term it will help with energy demand. Though I don't believe it will impact our dependence on foreign oil. Also, given the relatively small number of plants it will not likely have a huge impact on emissions. And the final but probably most important question is Waste. I think it's safe to say that until the basic questions regarding waste disposal, cleanup and storage are resolved this will override any benefits.
So at first blush I think I have to say that we're approaching this particular energy source from the wrong direction. I think the money would be better spent on dealing with the critical issues of waste (the end result of nuclear power) vs. building more power plants and putting our heads in the radioactive sand.
For those that have an interest in the topic and want to get a better picture of what is going on in the world regarding nuclear energy there is at least one good website that I know of. It covers many of today's issues in Europe that the US news won't cover or tell you much about. This site is certainly not pro-nuclear but I think does a good job of telling it like it is.
Bellona Foundation - Bellona
http://www.bellona.org/I'm sure there are more sites but I've never spent the time looking for them (or at least I neglected to bookmark them!). So if you know of any please let me know, I'd like to hear your opinions on this announcement as well.
So sadly I've yet again found another issue in which I disagree with BHO on...
-Stephen
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