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Posted by jennifer, August 25th, 2008 - under Uncategorized.
Tags: Energy & Nuclear
Several hydrogen-powered cars have just completed a 13-day trip across the US. They stopped in 31 cities across 18 states.
And I had assumed that this technology was still in its infancy.
For the benefit of third parties. Just to show where these nutty ideas come from.
Nutty ideas about nuclear:
1. The idea that nuclear is expensive. Which it isn’t unless its legal obstruction, government cost overuns, only using 0.7% of the fuel, or looking at the retail end of the market in a situation of monopoly pricing.
2. The idea that nuclear has massive decomissioning costs. Which seems to be, if it is not entirely made up, about design failure. The failure to have sufficient modularity of design.
3. The idea that it is unsafe. Which has no statistical justification whatsoever. And no design justification.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
There is something to be said about gallic national vanity and obstinance here. These guys are about the only people being responsible with regards to energy generation. They are expanding their grid and selling energy to other countries. Which we ought to be doing also. We ought to be to saturation nuclear in our country and be selling it to Papua and Indonesia.
One of those countries, either the Morrocons or the Algerians, have changed their time zone. Just so they can import electricity from the French at off-peak prices. Thank goodness Berlesconi made a comeback in Italy and he has committed his country to nuclear power. It is just so irresponsible of any country not run by bloodthisty tyrants not to do so.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
We have this moronic metric of trying to get some percentage of total energy from “renewables”. Not that there is any such thing really. I mean what a meaningless goal. To get 20% from “renewables.” A better metric would be to get more energy-per-capita from renewables than anyone else regardless of the percentage of total. So supposing we are getting more ergs per capita from wind and solar than the Germans. But we have so much nuclear and carbon-solids-liquification ……. that renewables are still a tiny percentage. Now that would be success.
“1. The idea that nuclear is expensive. Which it isn’t unless its legal obstruction, government cost overuns, only using 0.7% of the fuel, or looking at the retail end of the market in a situation of monopoly pricing.”
Exactly, nuke reactors are expensive depending on the level of regulatory controls and safety requirements.
“2. The idea that nuclear has massive decomissioning costs. Which seems to be, if it is not entirely made up, about design failure. The failure to have sufficient modularity of design.”
Exactly, however people like the Hamiltonian disciple and economic declinist has never heard of the term trade offs.
“3. The idea that it is unsafe. Which has no statistical justification whatsoever. And no design justification.”
Exactly, it actually been safer than coal to use. More people have died per unit of energy working at coal-fired plants than nuke.
The Hamiltonian declinist deserves a good clip over the head for peddling propaganda.
Looks like the love affair with wind power has crashed into the wall of reality. Here’s a Canadian greenoid columnist finally admitting what smart people knew all along – that wind power playing any significant role in energy production anytime in the near future is a chimera!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinions/columnists/Gary+Mason.html
Whoops, here’s the direct link:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080826.BCMASON26/TPStory/TPComment/?query=
Where’s the Hamiltonian disciple as he has a lot to answer for….. the economic declinism and all.
the wind aficionado… fme when will this idiocy ever stop.
“Anyone guess where we can plant our first nuc power generator?”
Not too far north (N.H.) or south (S.H.) since we don’t want them scraped off by oncoming glaciers.
RA,
I don’t know if this applies to Ender but most leftists won’t stay around long enough for a good refutation. But I have some sympathy for leftists; they often want to correct the economic misery the fractional-reserve bankers get us in to.
More problems with wind:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/business/27grid.html?_r=2&th=&oref=slogin&emc=th&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin
“fme when will this idiocy ever stop?”
Till you’re safely in your grave
or till the end of days
there’ll be idiots to save.
Of course Ender won’t stay around as he’s busy trying to find land on higher ground and drive that ridiculous looking car around. I hope he buys land near a wind turbine.
Think of it this way, beach front property will get less expensive. I hope the Hollywood crowd sells theirs and has to buy it back at ridiculous prices.
“I hope he buys land near a wind turbine.”
They’re forbidden in Italy because of the sound they make.
Well we don’t want to give up on any energy source so long as it pays its own way.
I’m up in Cairns and will be checking out CookTown. Cooktown strikes one as a place where alternative fuels might actually be cost-effective to have there with your nuclear power station and your steady supply of hydrocarbons.
Any erg is a good erg. We just have to be careful that discussions on how nice the Swedish people are aren’t really a putdown of Jews and our dark-skinned brothers.
That is to say, no discussion of alternatives ought to be seen as an excuse not to be pushing for a crash program in nuclear and hydrocarbons exploitation.