Fukushima Just Can't Catch a Break
- Thread starter jthomas666
- Start date
Its been a long while but my memory of Carter was he had a very pragmatic view of nuclear power, not to mention the fact that he was associated with the Navys nuclear sub program.
IIRC, Jimmy Carter went to 3 Mile Island to demonstrate how safe nuclear power was and to calm everyone's fears. Also, IIRC, the situation was still fluid at the time of his visit in regards to a potential meltdown there. For all that should be hung at JC's feet during his administration, the nuclear power issue was not one. Environmental groups used the court system to block a lot of planned projects.
As for nuclear power itself, we need to make sure our designs are within reason the safest they can be while keeping in mind the disastrous consequences of a catastrophic failure - even if the chance of failure is low, the "fallout" is high. I'm pro-nuclear power if and only if we have a solid plan for dealing with the waste and we design failsafes into the system to account for the most unlikely of events within reason.
Are pebble bed reactors a panacea, or do they just have a different set of deficiencies? In your paper, what were the primary issues with pebble bed reactors, and how widespread are they employed today?
My understanding of pebble bed reactors is that they incorporate a passive shutdown (meaning no human intervention or outside electricity required). They also use up a much higher % of their fuel so that cuts down on waste.
I have a friend at the NRC so I just asked her about any negatives. Waiting for an answer.
I have a friend at the NRC so I just asked her about any negatives. Waiting for an answer.
Not true at all. His degree was in nuclear engineering. I was just entering that field at the time (3 mile island). We regarded Carter as an ally against Congress...
Yep. The bigger problem was that The China Syndrome was released the same year as TMI. Between that and a media more interested in sensationalism than facts, nuclear power didn't stand a chance.
We founded a company and ran it for ten years. I came out all right, but nothing like if we'd been earlier in the cycle. Interestingly enough, some projects we thought would be coming our way have only been resurrected in the last several years...
I believe that, if one believes in man-made global warming, that nuclear power is the only viable option, at least in the next few decades.
France gets 75% of its electricity from nuclear power and you don't hear about huge nuclear accidents in France.
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