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The Record-Breaking Failures of Nuclear Power
The Record-Breaking Failures of Nuclear Power Photograph Source: Watts Bar Unit 2 nuclear power reactor – CC BY 2.0 The Tennessee Valley Authority could likely rightfully claim a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, but it’s not an achievement for which the federally-owned electric utility corporation would welcome notoriety. After taking a whopping 42 […]
America’s Energy Strategy is Bonkers
America’s Energy Strategy is Bonkers “Higher gasoline costs, if left unchecked, risk harming the ongoing global recovery. The price of crude oil has been higher than it was at the end of 2019, before the onset of the pandemic. While OPEC+ recently agreed to production increases, these increases will not fully offset previous production cuts […]
Germany Schnitzels Itself After Ditching Nuclear, Coal Power For Green Pipe Dreams
Germany Schnitzels Itself After Ditching Nuclear, Coal Power For Green Pipe Dreams As Germans continue to ‘enjoy’ the highest power bills in Europe, critics are warning that green energy solutions aren’t being deployed quickly enough amid the closure of its last nuclear reactor, and a sharp (and possibly early) reduction in coal electricity generation – putting the […]
Whatever happened to China’s revolutionary molten salt nuclear reactor program?
Whatever happened to China’s revolutionary molten salt nuclear reactor program? Several years ago during a radio interview, the host told me that the Chinese were planning on deploying a commercial modular molten salt reactor (MSR) by 2020. For context, these nuclear reactors are based on existing technology demonstrated by previous operating prototypes, can use fuel that is […]
When climate breakdown goes nuclear
When climate breakdown goes nuclear Wikipedia Nuclear is on the front-line of climate change – and not in a good way. Climate models have run hot in the last year. As knowledge of climate sensitivity and polar ice melt-rate evolves, it’s become clear that sea-level rise is significantly faster than previously thought – which means more frequent and destructive storm, […]
Nuclear Reactions At Chernobyl “Cause for Concern”
Nuclear Reactions At Chernobyl “Cause for Concern” Sensors have detected increased levels of neutrons in an inaccessible chamber at the Chernobyl site, signaling that nuclear fission reactions are taking place in the entombed reactor hall, Science reports. The signs that fission reactions are occurring come 35 years nearly to the date when the Chernobyl nuclear power […]
Nuclear Fuel Buried 108 Feet From the Sea
Nuclear Fuel Buried 108 Feet From the Sea Photograph Source: D Ramey Logan – CC BY-SA4.0 “The most toxic substance on Earth is separated from exposure to society by ½” of steel encased in a canister.” (Blanch) That eye-opener comes from renowned nuclear expert Paul Blanch in reference to spent fuel rods removed from San Onofre […]
Inviting Nuclear Disaster
Inviting Nuclear Disaster Photograph Source: Brad.K – CC BY 2.0 Nuclear power plants when they began being constructed were not seen as running for more than 40 years because of radioactivity embrittling metal parts and otherwise causing safety problems. But in recent decades, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has extended the operating licenses of nuclear power […]
High-level nuclear waste storage degrades faster than thought
High-level nuclear waste storage degrades faster than thought Preface. Burying nuclear waste ought to be a top priority, now that it appears peak oil may have happened in November of 2018 (Patterson 2019) and perhaps even sooner if covid-19 crashes the world economy (Tverberg 2020). It won’t happen after oil production peaks, when it is rationed […]
Nuclear waste will last a lot longer than climate change
Nuclear waste will last a lot longer than climate change Preface. One of the most tragic aspects of peak oil is that it is very unlikely once energy descent begins that oil will be expended to clean up our nuclear mess. Or before descent either. Anyone who survives peak fossil fuels and after that, rising […]
Nuclear reactor issues
Nuclear reactor issues Preface. There are half a dozen articles below. Although safety and disposal of nuclear waste ought to be the main reasons why no more plants should be built, what will really stop them isbecause it takes years to get permits and $8.5–$20 billion in capital must be raised for a new 3400 […]
Germany Aims To Close All Nuclear Plants By 2022
Germany Aims To Close All Nuclear Plants By 2022 Germany is going forward with its plan to phase out nuclear reactors by 2022 as another nuclear power plant is going offline on December 31. Power company EnBW has said that it would take the Philippsburg 2 reactor off the grid at 7 p.m. local time on New […]
Boston Globe: the false promise of nuclear power
Boston Globe: the false promise of nuclear power Preface. This article raises many objections to nuclear power. Theoretically it could be cheaper, but the exact opposite has happened, it keeps getting more expensive. For example the only new reactors being built in the U.S. now are at Georgia Power’s Vogtle plant. Costs were initially estimated […]
Nuclear waste disposal drilled deep into earth’s crust
Nuclear waste disposal drilled deep into earth’s crust Preface. I suspect one the greatest tragedies of the decline of oil will be all the nuclear waste left for thousands of low-tech generations in the future. We owe it to them to clean up our mess while we still have excess oil energy to do it. […]
