| One extremely huge security risk that would come | | | | Probably it would create at least some instability and |
| from a bird flu pandemic is nuclear power plants. | | | | cause volcanos and earthquakes. |
| Right now, about 17% of the world's electricity is | | | | A nuclear reactor meltdown is something no sane |
| produced by nuclear power plants. | | | | person wants to happen. |
| There're over 400 nuclear power plants currently in | | | | Unfortunately, there are some insane people out |
| operation around the world -- over 100 of them in | | | | there -- including many islamo-fascists who believe |
| the United States alone. | | | | that their religion justifies any actions which kills |
| The total varies a lot by country. France relies on | | | | infidels. As a note left by one of the Spanish train |
| nuclear power more than any other country -- using | | | | bombers reads: "You love life. We love death." |
| nuclear power to generate 75% of the country's | | | | Therefore, any country containing nuclear power |
| electricity. | | | | plants must make protecting them their number one |
| The United States currently gets about 15% of its | | | | priority during a serious bird flu pandemic. |
| electricity from nuclear power. That is an overall | | | | They must protect against accidental error due to a |
| percentage. Your area may be much higher or lower. | | | | shortage of trained personnel. Plus they must protect |
| Although the construction of nuclear power plants | | | | against deliberate damage from a terrorist group |
| has stopped in the United States and almost all of | | | | taking advantage of the bird flu pandemic. |
| Europe, due to concerns about the safety of these | | | | The level of the reaction in the core is adjusted by |
| plants and of what to do with the nuclear waste | | | | using control rods that absorb neutrons. If the fission |
| generated by them, it's continuing in Asia and some | | | | reaction gets too strong, the people operating the |
| other areas. | | | | plants must insert enough control rods to reduce it. |
| Disclaimer: I was a anti-nuke activist at one time. I | | | | Or stop it when necessary. |
| worked extensively on an electoral petition drive | | | | Plus, water is used to keep the core cool. |
| which would have banned the operation of nuclear | | | | One danger will be that the plant is not properly |
| power plants in the state of Missouri until there was | | | | taken care of, due to death and illness of employees. |
| a safe, permanant storage facility for nuclear waste. | | | | Therefore, all nuclear power plant personnel should be |
| That was 1980, not a good election to promote | | | | kept isolated from the rest of the population. If |
| anything at all "liberal," so our proposal failed to pass. | | | | they've possibly been exposed to bird flu, if possible |
| But it's possible we played at least a small part in | | | | they should remain in a quarantine for at least 5 days |
| Union Electric's decision to cancel their proposed | | | | to make sure they're not infected, before being in |
| Calloway II nuclear power plant. | | | | contact with the other people. |
| I used to be completely proud of that. Now, I'm not | | | | They should also receive all available medical care. |
| so sure. I haven't completely turned around on this | | | | They should have their own doctor and nurse and |
| issue, as I have on so many I used to be a leftwing | | | | supply of antiviral medicines and nutritional |
| radical on. I recognize the world's great need for | | | | supplements. |
| electricity. However, all the nuclear waste bothers | | | | This includes nuclear plant security guards. |
| me. After all the half-life of plutonium is 250,000 | | | | In fact, extra guards should be sent to watch over |
| years. | | | | nuclear power plants to prevent terrorists attacks. |
| Of course, the greatest potential danger from a | | | | Even if they must come from military units. |
| nuclear power plant is the meltdown of its core. | | | | It might be impossible to quarantine these new |
| The heart of a nuclear reactor is the core where | | | | security guards, so shifts should be kept separated |
| uranium enriched with U-235 sits. | | | | from each other to reduce the chances that one of |
| The U-235 is split, making it give off two or three | | | | them will spread bird flu to others. |
| neutrons. If these neutrons strike other U-235 atoms, | | | | The military unit surrounding the power plant should |
| then they are split and the nuclear fission reaction | | | | remain on the perimeter so there's no chance they |
| continues as long as there're atoms of U-235. | | | | spread an avian flu infection to either the regular |
| This fission reaction gives off heat, which is used to | | | | plant guards or other plant workers. |
| heat water to steam, which turns a turbine which | | | | If nuclear power plant personnel do start coming |
| creates electricity. | | | | down with bird flu or feel that they cannot maintain a |
| So nuclear power is basically just a fancy way to boil | | | | critical reaction at a safe level, for any reason -- they |
| water. | | | | should have orders to shut the reactor down with |
| If, on average, less than one neutron hits another | | | | control rods to prevent a meltdown. |
| U-235 atom, then the reaction is called sub-critical and | | | | Another weak point is that the plant must be |
| the reaction will die out. | | | | supplied with enough water to keep the core cool. |
| If, on average, one neutron hits one other U-235 | | | | Therefore, it's critical that this source of water be |
| atom, then the reaction is called critical and the | | | | safeguarded against problems caused either by bird |
| reaction will continue. Nuclear power plants maintain | | | | flu death/illness or terrorists. |
| this level to generate a stable amount of heat to run | | | | It would also be a good idea to patrol the air space |
| the turbine. | | | | above the power plant. If well constructed, they |
| If, on average, one neutron hits more than one other | | | | should be strong enough to withstand a direct hit |
| U-235, then the reaction is called supercritical. | | | | from a crashed airplane, but who wants to depend |
| This is where it gets dangerous. Contrary to what | | | | on that? |
| some fear, the core of a nuclear reactor can't go off | | | | Shipments of nuclear fuel to the power plant should |
| like an atomic bomb -- the U-235 is not that much | | | | be suspended if at all possible. |
| enriched. The fission reaction can't become | | | | Shipments of nuclear waste from the power plant |
| supercritical fast enough to explode. | | | | should certainly be suspended for the duration of the |
| However, it can continue to heat up until the physical | | | | bird flu pandemic. |
| structure melts down and forms a superdense, | | | | Although it is desirable to keep the power plant |
| superheavy ball. So heavy and dense that theground | | | | generating electricity throughout the pandemic, it |
| is not strong enough to hold it, so it falls through the | | | | may be pointless. That's because shortage of electric |
| soil of the Earth. In theory, it could go to the core of | | | | utility personnel during the pandemic could create |
| the planet and keepon until it reaches the opposite | | | | massive electrical shortages throughout the grids |
| side. | | | | anyway. |
| Since the opposite side of the United States is China, | | | | If the power plant generates electricity but it doesn't |
| we call this this the China Syndrome. | | | | benefit anyone because too many wires are down |
| This would release a tremendous amount of | | | | and can't be repaired, it's smarter to just turn the |
| radioactivity. If you watch the movie The China | | | | plant down as far as possible -- and the people |
| Syndrome you'll hear an expert say it would render | | | | working there should just wait out the pandemic. |
| an area the size of Pennsylvania uninhabitable for | | | | During a bird flu pandemic, protecting nuclear power |
| eons. | | | | plants must be a country's number one priority. |
| The focus is usually on the area surrounding the site | | | | The H5N1 virus pandemic will kill many people, but |
| of the former nuclear power plant, but I think that | | | | certainly not everybody. And it will go away within 3 |
| the hole left on the other side of the planet would | | | | to 12 months. |
| also release a lot of radioactivity. | | | | A nuclear power plant will kill everybody within many |
| I don't know whether anybody's ever asked | | | | miles, and radiation will continue as a health hazard for |
| geologists how sending a superdense ball through the | | | | an uncountable number of generations. |
| core of the planet would affect its internal structure. | | | | |