Glen Downs discuses Fukushima from the prospective of someone who just returned from Japan
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Maybe,,,it is payback time……for Hiro and Nagi……..from them to US..
IFC has developed beryllium additives to contain nuclear fuels, reactors can run at much lower temperatures, and it has a synergistic and much safer process. I really am intrigued by what Texas A&M and MIT have done in working with Beryllium and nuclear fuel as well. Lastly, Thorium was shown in the past and currently that it can run as a nuclear fuel in a more safe and more potential energy than uranium and it was only due to the use of nuclear power stations and nuclear subs for the Navy that history opted to use Uranium. Regardless, Nuclear makes up a very significant block of the Energy Grid, it is crucial to weaning ourselves off oil and coal which have their own dangers, oils spills, explosions, or pollution to water supplies. Solar and Wind are coming along, but they don’t even make up 2% of the energy supply so if people want to keep running these computers to listen and login to this site, or to switch to electric cars, or to power their businesses, then the power needs to come from somewhere. Nobody is mentioning the hundreds of reactors that are working just fine right this minute. That Fukushima reactor meltdown is a complete disaster, but it is not representative of the normal experience over the last 6 decades. Of course, 2 other big incidents, but 3 in 60 years on the whole planet is much less than all the oil spills, coal mine explosions, coal mine collapses, and environment disasters and economic disasters many hydropower dam projects create. Maybe down the road Natural Gas infrastructure will be more widespread and it can save the day – but then there are the opponents of fracking and you just can’t win.
That should have said IBC Advanced Alloys that was doing the research on Beryllium be added as nuclear fuel and not IFC. Sorry.
How easily we forget about things. Thank God for the internet.
Worst case senario: Fukashima poisons Pacific Salmon,
Northern Dynasty mines Pebble.
Personaly I figure the guys that dealt with Chernobyl should have some input.
I was after buying some oysters yesterday, the cans were marked pacific.
I went home without oysters. Maybe Im paranoid.
Thanks for the very important update.
Al, so glad you finally posted an interview that says Fukushima may be very dangerous instead of your usual “I heard from a friend that its not that bad”. The last headline I read on the subject was “University of Alaska Scientists: Fukushima Radiation May Be Making Alaska Seals Sick” ( http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2014-01-26/university-alaska-scientists-fukushima-radiation-may-be-making-alaska-seals-s ). Like you I am no expert on this subject but I HAVE to believe this multi-meltdown has an impact and some experts (as per link and if necessary I can post many more) seem to agree. My opinions are too complex for most to agree with but Japan, sitting on the ring of fire… on top of a volcano… should not have any nuclear reactors but reactors are necessary for humanity to thrive.
Perhaps one could postulate that Japan could build nuclear power in S. Korea, Mongolia or elsewhere (safer jurisdiction) and use the profits on those to import LNG at a more forgiving price in a sort of “energy free trade” but, again, my actual opinion is too “out of the box” to even post.
GT………..you should post them anyway…………might be food for thought….ootbjerry
JERRY I was looking for a specific video from Dr. Helen Caldicott where she says “If… building 4 collapses… I am going to evacuate my family from Boston” (around 10:40 in the vid below) but I was lucky enough to find a video with many quotes from her and Dr. Michio Kaku. The first minute or 2 is just unnecessary text (as all the text is found in the video itself). I think Dr. Kaku is the world most famous physicist next to Stephen Hawking, Dr. Caldicott is an expert on nuclear radiation; it is not wise to disregard their opinions.
Shad yes it is in imperfect solution in the current order of things but I think you slightly misunderstood my thinking… The idea was the Japanese Gov would build and operate the reactors in other countries and use the profit to mitigate the coast of LNG or coal for domestic Japanese power. In the current climate profit is solely left to the private sector, TEPCO made the profits but now the Gov (people) will have to pay for the cleanup. Gotta love socialism, the Gov takes on all the risks, the corporation gets all the rewards!
oops I forgot the link to the video…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZuoBbxGuMI
Interesting scenario for building nuclear power off-site and getting break on LNG, but then those countries could hold those reactors hostage and not ship Japan the LNG and Japan would be powerless (literally) to stop it without military engagement. It would be tough for any country to build reactors outside it’s own borders without the host country taking advantage of that situation. Nobody wants nuclear power – it’s the NIMBY thing (Not In MY Back Yard). Just like a new prison showing up in your town, people boycott and protest not in my back yard….but they want criminals tried through our court of law locked up somewhere. Likewise, Japan wants electricity; and actually NEEDS electricity to be economically viable. They based their power grid on 50 nuclear plants that are all shut down. They have to be turned back on (at least for 10 years) before they can transition to another form of power like LNG. Just like Germany shot it’s mouth off and then doubled back saying well we’re done with Nuclear…Ok not quite yet…we’re done with nuclear over a decade or two.
Just pray Jesus comes back soon and ends this whole mess.
I feel sorry for the young people, like my daughter.
As I do James for one of my sons James, and the prospects for my six grandchildren., The Lord’s in control! A
Why on earth don’t they use horizontal drilling techniques and pump in powder graphite into the molten core?
Given the melting point of uranium, graphite and steel, this is a plausible way to at least stop the meltdown progressing further. Then bury the structure in concrete.
Or are they waiting until the meltdown melts down into the earth’s core?
The problem IS radioactive contamination of Pacific fish.
Japan knows the quantity of uranium involved is more than 100 times greater than ever exploded in bombs.