| The United States with less than 5% of
| |
| | no visual pollution, it is cost
|
| the world's population consumes roughly
| |
| | relatively cost effective, quiet and we
|
| 25% of the world's energy. Some might
| |
| | have sufficient supply of uranium here at
|
| argue that this is egregious, while
| |
| | home for the foreseeable future to
|
| others would say that it is simply a
| |
| | provide for a major portion of our energy
|
| yardstick by which the world's largest
| |
| | needs. Historically, at least, the
|
| economy is measured. But for whatever
| |
| | problem with nuclear energy has been
|
| the reason for our vast consumption of
| |
| | primarily two fold. First, the "China
|
| energy, the fact remains that in order to
| |
| | Syndrome" problem of a meltdown of a
|
| consume you first have to produce. And
| |
| | reactor which could release a large
|
| as most of our energy comes from burning
| |
| | amount of radioactivity and second, what
|
| fossil fuels- which wouldn't be too bad
| |
| | do we do with nuclear waste material that
|
| except that:
| |
| | has a half-life of over 25,000 years!
|
| (1) burning vast amounts of fossil fuels
| |
| | The perception of these two significant
|
| in this county alone dumps millions of
| |
| | obstacles might doom a new nuclear drive
|
| pounds of earth warming greenhouse gasses
| |
| | and stand in the way of an
|
| into, what appears, is a fragile
| |
| | energy-independent United States.
|
| atmosphere, every day. Just warming up
| |
| | However, there are new technologies in
|
| the atmosphere a couple of degrees on
| |
| | this field that, like the cavalry, have
|
| average has significant impact. Look no
| |
| | come to our rescue- and none too soon.
|
| further than last year's hurricane
| |
| | First, there is a new class of nuclear
|
| season. The worst on record. And...
| |
| | reactors that have their nuclear fuel so
|
| (2) let's not forget its close cousin;
| |
| | structured that they cannot do a melt
|
| smog pollution, which adds to respiratory
| |
| | down. Turn off the cooling to this new
|
| problems and other health conditions, not
| |
| | nuclear reactor and it only gets a bit
|
| to mention the visual blight hanging over
| |
| | hotter. No big deal. Turn the cooling
|
| our cities as well. In addition...
| |
| | back on and it runs more efficiently.
|
| (3) have you filled your tank recently?
| |
| | Okay, one down. But what about all that
|
| Paid the heating bill? The cost of all
| |
| | radioactive spent reactor fuel? Let's
|
| fossil fuels, even coal has increased
| |
| | see if we can put some perspective on it.
|
| significantly. As other emerging
| |
| | If you gathered all the spent nuclear
|
| economies such as China and India vie for
| |
| | fuel in this country under one roof it
|
| ever more limited resources, all bets are
| |
| | would fill a typical high school gym. Not
|
| that the costs will continue to climb
| |
| | too unmanageable. Moreover, the spent
|
| over the long haul. Moreover...
| |
| | fuel is encapsulated in super strong
|
| (4) as we import most of our oil
| |
| | glass beads, which in turn are embedded
|
| nowadays- we are increasingly held
| |
| | into hardened concrete inside steel
|
| hostage to an unstable supply from a
| |
| | drums. This makes the waste product
|
| number of countries that we, for whatever
| |
| | "transportable" and is designed to
|
| reasons, are increasingly unpopular with.
| |
| | withstand the elements for 10,000 years.
|
| The end game? If our supply of oil is
| |
| | Nevertheless, even in it's tomb it is
|
| not first arbitrarily cut off, as it
| |
| | still relativity radioactive. Most of
|
| becomes increasingly scarce the price
| |
| | these drums are stored in water as
|
| will rise until our growth is strangled.
| |
| | radiation cannot penetrate more than
|
| In either case we will feel impelled to
| |
| | about 3 feet of water. However, no one
|
| engage in war with other rising powers to
| |
| | seems anxious to have it in their back
|
| secure our supplies.
| |
| | yards. A political hot potato to be
|
| The bottom line: Fossil fuels are not
| |
| | sure.
|
| only hazardous to our health (and the
| |
| | But while our politicians don't have the
|
| planet's) but may in fact be hazardous to
| |
| | answer, the earth does. The answer lies
|
| the American way of life.
| |
| | in the bottom of the Marianas Trench in
|
| But if energy is the lifeblood of our
| |
| | the Pacific. It is the deepest place in
|
| economy what are we to do? Wind? Solar?
| |
| | the ocean (over seven miles) and one of
|
| While anything we can do other than
| |
| | the fastest moving subduction plates on
|
| consume fossil fuels will help, these
| |
| | earth. If the drums of waste were placed
|
| sources of energy are relatively diffuse
| |
| | in the bottom of the trench, they would,
|
| and inconsistent. In other words, their
| |
| | within a few hundred years, be swallowed
|
| "cost to calorie" ratios are not
| |
| | up into the bowels of the earth and blend
|
| efficient and they are not always
| |
| | into the earth's core where heat and
|
| dependable. As James Kunstler points out
| |
| | pressure (caused in part by radioactive
|
| in his intriguing book The Long
| |
| | substances contained within the earth)
|
| Emergency, one of our best options out of
| |
| | rendered insignificant.
|
| these dilemmas is to do an "Apollo
| |
| | Given the current geopolitical situation,
|
| Project" type effort to develop
| |
| | which only seems to be working to our
|
| additional, new nuclear energy
| |
| | disadvantage, limited resources for cheap
|
| capability. As it turns out, it just may
| |
| | fossil fuels, not to mention the
|
| be the greenest, viable alternate we
| |
| | environmental impacts we are starting to
|
| have.
| |
| | experience, it is time we take drastic
|
| The U.S. currently produces about 20% of
| |
| | measures to get us off our fossil fuel
|
| its electrical power from nuclear power.
| |
| | addition. Let's hope we are not too
|
| The advantages are; that there are no
| |
| | late.
|
| greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere,
| |
| |
|
