It’s time for the 156th edition of the Carnival of Nuclear Energy Bloggers – a weekly compilation of the best pro-nuclear, English-language blogs and articles submitted by authors, editors and publishers. As was pointed out by Entreprenuclear, this 156th edition actually marks a milestone THREE YEAR anniversary for this popular feature. Congratulations to all of the steady contributors and hosts are in order on this important date. Now, let’s get to it!
Atomic Insights – Rod Adams
Crash course in outrage management - Nuclear professionals have a moral imperative to improve our ability to manage and reduce outrage to a level that is more commensurate with the demonstrably low hazard of our technology. Our technology should be serving people, not causing them to live in fear or causing them to avoid beneficial applications because they have been taught to worry about what might happen if magical forces make layers of steel, water and concrete disappear or if “hot particles” somehow find their way, undetected, into their bodies.
Atomic Show 203 – Globally distributed atomic conversation All around the world, renewable energy advocates are promoting studies that claim it is feasible to replace our current energy system with one that is completely dependent on renewables – they want people to believe we do not need to use either fossil fuels or nuclear energy.
Attempting to transition away from fossil fuels to an “all renewable” energy system is fraught with cost and reliability challenges. Germany is running into substantial challenges and is burned 5% more lignite – brown coal – in 2012 than it did in 2011. Recently completed studies that including a range of scenarios in Australia and California indicate the magnitude of the challenge of trying to do without both nuclear energy and fossil fuel.
Yes Vermont Yankee – Meredith Angwin
Two guest posts this week from Yes Vermont Yankee: Guy Page connects Vermont to world events by asking “As Germany goes, so goes Vermont?“ Also, in a separate installment, Willem Post compares an ambitious scheme for offshore wind on the East Coast with the simpler choice of building more nuclear plants. Nuclear looks better.
The Hiroshima Syndrome – Leslie Corrice
Radiation Fears Continue – F. Daiichi Wastewater Build-up - The wastewater buildup problem at Fukushima Daiichi increases with every day that passes. ALPS will remove all but one of the residual radioactive isotopes; tritium cannot be removed by ALPS. The total activity of all the tritium at Fukushima Daiichi is one-hundredth of the total natural tritium in the Pacific Ocean. Regardless, this tritium will keep TEPCO from discharging the water to the sea.
Nuke Power Talk – Gail Marcus
Differentiating Within Energy Technologies: Breaking Down the Monoliths Gail Marcus picks up on a comment submitted to one of her blogs at Nuke Power Talk and points out that the various energy technologies are not monolithic. When we speak broadly of nuclear, solar, or wind power, we may be ignoring important differences in the economics or other considerations of specific technologies. The commenter raised the comparison of photovoltaics to solar water heating, but Gail notes that the same thing may apply for different nuclear or wind power options as well.
Next Big Future – Brian Wang
NASA and Ohio State University research on molten salt reactors for space
EPA guidelines to balance risks during radiation and other crisis situations – because things other than radiation can be the greater dangers
ANS Nuclear Cafe - submissions by Paul Bowersox
What does the future look like at Kewaunee? Because it doesn’t happen often, decommissioning of nuclear plants is a topic that is rarely covered in any generally accessible way. Will Davis presents what the known timeline for events are at Kewaunee Generating Station, which shut down for good recently, and shows by example that there are both challenges ahead in the complex (and costly) process and also a number of successful examples setting the precedent that a natural, “green field” site is absolutely possible after all is said and done.
Energy and Equality In the US most men support the use of nuclear power as a source of electricity — and a slight majority of women do not. Suzanne Hobbs Baker on the issue of gender equality, an especially important issue for nuclear professionals in light of the above.
That’s it for this week’s Carnival. We hope you’ve enjoyed the selections, and we look forward to next week’s production sure to include timely events and thought provoking insight — as the Carnival does each and every week.
