LLAW’s “ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” #489 (12/23/2023)

”End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

DEC 23, 2023

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LLAW’s THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS TONIGHT:

Okay, now after two nights of fairytales and mysterious dreams about somehow saving the world from ourselves, it is time to return to reality and face the world(s) of nuclear war threats, propaganda fabrications, proposed mayhem and chaos that I call the insanity of “All Things Nuclear”. And, truth be known, the imaginary world of the past and future is no more clear than todays lies, threats, and rumors of world war and/or atmospheric extinction.

But first, there is this: “NASA Has a $3.5bn Plan to Save the Planet From the Yellowstone Supervolcano”, and at the same time harness supervolcano energy that could support human energy needs for thousands of years to come. Could it be the 2nd step in using the world’s geothermal energy to entirely do away with both fossil fuels’ CO2/GHG asphyxiation extinction program and/or the uranium/nuclear radiation poisoning extinction program. The 1st step (as I have written about on these Posts several times) has already been taken by science that proves that such a world-wide enterprise, with Yellowstone as the creator/savior, is more than just feasible, but, compared to all other proposed human “fixes” easily, cleanly, and cheaply accomplished. The entire world of futuristic energy developers, including the entire commercial energy business itself should be stumbling all over themselves getting in line to help save themselves and us from an uninhabited dead planet that we have already been facing with no progress for far too long. ~llaw

And it comes with cheap electricity.

Earth & Energy/ NASA/ Volcanic Eruption/ Yellowstone

Philippe Bourseiller/Getty

Image by Philippe Bourseiller/Getty

YELLOWSTONE

Scientists at NASA have developed a hugely ambitious strategy to counter the looming threat of an apocalyptic supereruption from the Yellowstone Caldera.

Against such a backdrop, NASA has been working on a plan to counter this potentially far off but ultimately inevitable circumstance, which could be graver than even the nightmare scenario of a planet-devastating asteroid strike.

“I was a member of the NASA Advisory Council on Planetary Defence which studied ways for NASA to defend the planet from asteroids and comets,” researcher Brian Wilcox from the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory told the BBC.

“I came to the conclusion during that study that the supervolcano threat is substantially greater than the asteroid or comet threat.”

As recently as 2011, NASA was downplaying the immediate risks of supereruptions, given the staggeringly long timeframes between which they occur – roughly every 100,000 to 1 million years.

This, a NASA guide explains, means that large-scale eruptions from supervolcanoes are “exceedingly rare and the odds that one will occur in the lifetime of anybody reading this article are vanishingly small”.

The good news is those reassuring odds still hold, but consider this: Yellowstone itself is thought to erupt once every 600,000 years or so, and it’s been about that long since its last supereruption.

While the chances of it exploding in any given year remain low, it’s clear we’re edging ever closer to its thermal crisis point.

Which is why scientists at NASA compiled an as yet unpublished report – largely unknown outside the space agency, but seen by the BBC and other media outlets.

Their research concludes that the most logical way to address the threat is to try to cool down the enormous magma chambers inside a supervolcano.

Yellowstone is thought to leak about 60–70 percent of the heat it generates into the atmosphere, released through the hot springs that populate Yellowstone National Park.

The remaining, unvented heat is trapped inside the supervolcano’s magma chambers, and if enough heat builds up, it can ultimately trigger an explosive supereruption.

EPIC COLD SHOWER

Fortunately, NASA thinks Yellowstone would only need to undergo a 35 percent heat reduction to avert such a catastrophe, and they’ve got an idea for how you could pull off this epic cold shower.

By drilling as far down as 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) deep inside Yellowstone, the space agency thinks it would be possible to pump high-pressure water down into the supervolcano – circulating cool water in, which would absorb scorching levels of heat before being pumped out again.

NASA estimates the piping hot water making the return trip to the surface would have a temperature of about 350 degrees Celsius (662 degrees Fahrenheit) – and there’s something pretty great we could do with all that supervolcanic heat.

“Through drilling in this way, it could be used to create a geothermal plant, which generates electric power at extremely competitive prices of around $0.10/kWh,” Wilcox explained to the BBC.

“[You would] get electricity which can power the surrounding area for a period of potentially tens of thousands of years. And the long-term benefit is that you prevent a future supervolcano eruption which would devastate humanity.”

So, the benefits are not only economic – they’re potentially planet-saving – but the estimated costs of building the project are almost as insurmountable as a supervolcano.

NASA puts the price tag for the infrastructure at about $3.46 billion, but as gargantuan as that fee is, it pales beside an even bigger potential drawback with the plan – which is if something goes wrong.

“If you drill into the top of the magma chamber and try and cool it from there, this would be very risky,” Wilcox said.

“This could make the cap over the magma chamber more brittle and prone to fracture. And you might trigger the release of harmful volatile gases in the magma at the top of the chamber which would otherwise not be released.”

In the worst case scenario, a botched effort to drill inside the supervolcano could hypothetically induce a supereruption, so humanity will have to tread very carefully if it intends to pursue a plan like the one NASA’s come up with.

It’s unclear quite where the strategy is up to, and whether NASA will be officially releasing their report in the near future.

At the very least, Wilcox and his fellow researchers hope that, by talking about their idea, it might encourage a serious scientific discussion around ways to mitigate the impending threat of supervolcanoes.

Because one thing’s for sure – these ancient, colossal time bombs aren’t going anywhere, and their clocks are ticking louder than ever.


ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 5 categories (plus a bonus category at the end for news about the Yellowstone caldera and others that also play an important role in humanity’s lives) as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 linked most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none. The Categories are listed below in their usual appearing order:

  1. All Things Nuclear
  2. Nuclear Power
  3. Nuclear War
  4. Nuclear Power Emergencies
  5. Nuclear War Threats
  6. Yellowstone Caldera(There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in tonight’s Post.)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (per above). There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available at the end of this Post. If a category heading does not appear, it means there was no news reported from this category today.

(Just a reminder: When linked, the access to the media story will be underlined. If there is no link to a media story of interest you can still copy and paste the headline and lead line into your browser to find the article you are seeking. Hopefully this will never happen.)

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS (12/21/2023):

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Lawmakers drafting legislation to create a Ky. nuclear authority following report recommendations

WKMS

“You hear nuclear, and the first thing people think of is Three Mile Island … Learn All About WKMS Vehicle Donation! Looking for Something to Do …

Will SMRs Launch a Nuclear Power Bull Market? – Energy and Capital

Energy and Capital

And when it comes to SMRs, it all boils down to the fuel that is required to run these things. In the case of SMRs, it’s called Tri-Fuel 238, and …

Biden administration unveils hydrogen tax credit plan to jump-start industry

Alabama Public Radio

All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:00 PM Marketplace. 0:00. 0:00. All Things … nuclear plant operators. Frank Wolak, the association’s president, said …

Nuclear War

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Scientists repeat nuclear fusion breakthrough 3 times | The Hill

The Hill

Federal scientists have repeated their breakthrough toward nuclear fusion energy three times this year — and now say they can “consistently” …

North Korea Potentially Operating New Nuclear Reactor—Here’s What To Know – Forbes

Forbes

North Korea’s potential building and operating of its nuclear reactor would be a violation of UN sanctions.

Nuclear energy in Europe: Who is for and against it and why? | Euronews

Euronews.com

Unlike solar and wind resources, nuclear energy plants operate independently without relying on the weather conditions. Nuclear energy can serve to be …

NEW

Scientists repeat nuclear fusion breakthrough three times | The Hill

The Hill

… nuclear fusion reaction for the first time. It later announced … Israel-Hamas War · The Hill on NewsNation. sponsored: Content from Wells …

UN suspects North Korea of building up nuclear arsenal | National – rrdailyherald.com

rrdailyherald.com

Nuclear Weapons · South Korea · Nuclear War · Missiles · Uranium · South Korean Military · Videoelephant · Facebook · Twitter · WhatsApp · SMS · Email …

Russia-Ukraine war live: frontline troops suffering from ‘exceptional levels of rat and mice infestation’

The Guardian

Troops from both sides suffering as a result of mild autumn and abundance of food for rodents, says UK intelligence.

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Express readers reach verdict on Britain’s defence as Putin threatens World War III

Daily Express

Vladimir Putin has issued several threats against the West in recent months (Image: GETTY) … threatened to unleash nuclear war against the West.

North Korean Leader And Sister Issue Nuclear Threats Against US And South Korea

WE News –

… nuclear threats against the United States and South. … The North Korean leader warned of a potential nuclear attack if provoked by nuclear weapons …

As Russia Ramps Up ‘Traditional Values’ Rhetoric, It’s Won Putin Far-Right Fans Abroad

Religion Unplugged

… threats to their vision for society — and are not deterred by … After World War II, as Americans grappled with the looming threat of nuclear war …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Authorities Ask Tourists to Stop Flocking to Site of Volcanic Eruption – Futurism

Futurism

… Yellowstone Supervolcano featured image. Nasa Has a $3.5bn Plan to Save the Planet From the Yellowstone Supervolcano. 8. 25. 17. Read More.

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