On 11/26/2012 9:21 PM, Dan Minette wrote:
Since we don't want this list dominated by carved Norwegian tourist shop
items, I thought I'd throw out an argument. I have seen Germany and Japan
shutting down nuclear energy, after the Greens have suceeded in making it
non-PC. They had argued that the energy will be replaced by renewaable
sources. But, reality has set in, and they are being replaced by fossil
fuels.
Indeed, the biggest rise in energy production will be coal plants. As
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/more-than-1000-new-coal-plants-planned-wo
rldwide-15279
shows, there are plans for 1.4 trillion watts of capacity being added now in
process. This will add the equivalent of another China in greenhouse gas
emissions, more than the US and EU combined. So, I'd argue that the Green's
main effect on the environment has been to increase greenhouse gas emissions
by making nuclear power politically unacceptable. Japan shutting down their
reactor after the only nuclear damage having been radiation burns on the
feet of workers who walked into radioactive water without checking and
without boots (non-fatal) is amazing. It's like shutting down all
automobile traffic after the 100 car pileup on Thanksgiving on I-10.
I think you are correct in that. The only thing I would add is that the
design of the Fukushima plant was very old, and that modern designs are
even safer. This issue is not being resolved rationally, but then very
few people approach problems that way.
Regards,
--
Kevin B. O'Brien
[email protected]
A damsel with a dulcimer in a vision once I saw.
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