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05-04-2016, 02:15 PM
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Reformed Know-Nothing
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MoCo, MD
Posts: 25,917
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boreas
Another one that needs to go. You're on a roll, Pat.
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It's absolutely true. I'm not an absolute fan (nor foe) of nuclear power, but believe that at this point in time, it's still a viable component of the nation's power-generation capacity, as is coal, gas, wind, solar, hydropower and conservation. Other than conservation, all have a downside. Nuclear is low risk/high consequence whereas some other the others are high risk/low consequence. Pick your poison, as it were.
Your argument reminds me of criticism of the Green Party in Germany back about 35 years back. Roughly translated, it was that the Greens believed that their electricity came directly from the power receptacle (i.e., it was spontaneously generated in a pure fashion magically at the plug).
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As long as the roots are not severed, all will be well in the garden.
Last edited by finnbow; 05-04-2016 at 02:20 PM.
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05-04-2016, 02:23 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 20,496
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Quote:
Originally Posted by finnbow
It's absolutely true. I'm not an absolute fan (nor foe) of nuclear power, but believe that at this point in time, it's still a viable component of the nation's power-generation capacity, as is coal, gas, wind, solar, hydropower and conservation. Other than conservation, all have a downside. Nuclear is low risk/high consequence whereas some other the others are high risk/low consequence. Pick your poison, as it were.
Your argument reminds me of criticism of the Green Party in Germany back about 35 years back. Roughly translated, it was that the Greens believed that their electricity came directly from the power receptacle (i.e., it was spontaneously generated in a pure fashion magically at the plug).
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The risks of nuclear increase over time. This can't be said of your high risk technologies.
__________________
Smoke me a kipper. I'll be back for breakfast.
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05-04-2016, 02:29 PM
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Reformed Know-Nothing
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MoCo, MD
Posts: 25,917
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boreas
The risks of nuclear increase over time. This can't be said of your high risk technologies.
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Not really. A reactor built to the newest standards (i.e., modular reactor designs) are quite safe. Regardless, the stringency of existing NRC regulation and cheap, abundant natural gas have pretty much destroyed any appetite for new reactors in the power industry.
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As long as the roots are not severed, all will be well in the garden.
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05-04-2016, 02:43 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 20,496
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Quote:
Originally Posted by finnbow
Not really. A reactor built to the newest standards (i.e., modular reactor designs) are quite safe. Regardless, the stringency of existing NRC regulation and cheap, abundant natural gas have pretty much destroyed any appetite for new reactors in the power industry.
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You're forgetting the waste again.
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Smoke me a kipper. I'll be back for breakfast.
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05-04-2016, 04:07 PM
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Reformed Know-Nothing
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MoCo, MD
Posts: 25,917
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boreas
You're forgetting the waste again.
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If Harry Reid hadn't effectively closed Yucca Mountain (that was built with financing from the civilian nuclear industry) or if we chose to recycle spent fuel, it wouldn't be an intractable issue.
That said, we have ~100 operating power reactors in the United States. What do you propose? Shutting them down before their operating licenses expire? What good would that do? You'd still have ~100 plants to decommission, lots of spent fuel to store or reprocess, 800 billion kilowatt-hours of power to replace, and untold billions to pay the utility companies for reneging on the operating licenses and pissing away their money on Yucca Mountain.
Other than that, you're right.
__________________
As long as the roots are not severed, all will be well in the garden.
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05-04-2016, 04:36 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 20,496
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Quote:
Originally Posted by finnbow
If Harry Reid hadn't effectively closed Yucca Mountain (that was built with financing from the civilian nuclear industry) or if we chose to recycle spent fuel, it wouldn't be an intractable issue.
That said, we have ~100 operating power reactors in the United States. What do you propose? Shutting them down before their operating licenses expire? What good would that do? You'd still have ~100 plants to decommission, lots of spent fuel to store or reprocess, 800 billion kilowatt-hours of power to replace, and untold billions to pay the utility companies for reneging on the operating licenses and pissing away their money on Yucca Mountain.
Other than that, you're right.
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And since I never said any of that, I'm right.
And you bring up another area where nuclear sucks. Decommissioning old nukes is a real can of worms.
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Smoke me a kipper. I'll be back for breakfast.
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05-04-2016, 05:38 PM
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Rational Anarchist
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: DFW
Posts: 7,315
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boreas
And since I never said any of that, I'm right.
And you bring up another area where nuclear sucks. Decommissioning old nukes is a real can of worms.
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I just happen to be an SME on that subject. They do it in Bremerton and during a visit I was provided a detailed tour of the Ticonderoga class cruiser being deconstructed.
FWIW you are dead on target regarding nuclear waste in this country.
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"We have met the enemy and he is us."
Last edited by nailer; 05-05-2016 at 05:23 AM.
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05-04-2016, 04:17 PM
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Rational Anarchist
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: DFW
Posts: 7,315
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boreas
You're forgetting the waste again.
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You could stop bringing it up and concede.
__________________
"We have met the enemy and he is us."
Last edited by nailer; 05-04-2016 at 04:21 PM.
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