“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity.”
MAR 24, 2024
LLAW’s CONCERNS & COMMENTS, Saturday, (03/23/2024)
You only have to read the 1st paragraph of the “Vox/Verge” article below to understand why nuclear energy is not the answer to any problem, especially the strange and most unlikely concept that it can solve the CO2 global-warming/climate change issue. Common sense tells anyone with any sense that such a belief is utterly impossible. There are hundreds if not thousands of reasons that this will never happen. In the 1st place there is not enough uranium fuel left in the ground to allow nuclear power plants to take over for the other fossil fuels that are creating the global atmospheric carbon dioxide problem. We must spend our money for electric power only on advancing renewables like solar, wind, hydro and geo-thermal energy. Doing so is the only way to save ourselves from creating our own (and our other living critters) from extinction.
And then there are the “minor” problems like the time-lag between design, planning, constructing, licensing and operating nuclear power plants that take at best 12 to 15 years to produce power (meanwhile the fossil fuel global warming/climate change continues on unablated), and that is followed by leaking nuclear radiation, nuclear waste disposal, nuclear power plant human and/or AI accidents causing meltdowns, along with already enormous costs that can only grow upward forever, and the constant possibility of nuclear power plants being forcibly converted to stationary nuclear weapons of mass destruction or terrorism (as is happening as we read this nightly post in the Russia/Ukraine war). I could go on and on for hundreds of pages, but this ought to be enough to give you, the reader, a clue that such a dream will turn into a never-ending nightmare. ~llaw
THE VERGE IS A VOX MEDIA NETWORK
More than 30 countries have pledged to pursue nuclear energy as one way to meet global climate goals. Even so, nuclear energy is still a controversial energy source that’s bogged down by concerns about radioactive waste, safety, and high costs.
At a nuclear energy summit in Brussels yesterday, the countries pledged “to work to fully unlock the potential of nuclear energy by taking measures such as enabling conditions to support and competitively finance the lifetime extension of existing nuclear reactors, the construction of new nuclear power plants and the early deployment of advanced reactors,” The Associated Press reports. The US, China, Japan, France, Britain, and Saudi Arabia were among the 34 countries to sign the pledge.
It’s a bold statement to support a source of energy over which many governments and environmental groups are deeply divided. Nuclear energy doesn’t generate the greenhouse gas emissions heating up the planet, but the environmental footprint of its supply chain and waste creates other problems. And after decades of missteps, the technology still has to prove whether it can be an affordable, safe alternative to the fossil fuels causing climate change.
Nuclear energy doesn’t generate the greenhouse gas emissions heating up the planet, but the environmental footprint of its supply chain and waste creates other problems
Nearly every nation on Earth has committed to fighting climate change as part of the Paris agreement. That requires a transition from fossil fuels to clean energy over the next few decades. Fortunately, renewables like solar and wind energy are already cheaper than coal and gas and are forecast to make up a majority of new electricity sources deployed in coming years. The challenge is in finding backup energy sources for times when winds die down and the sun sets.
Proponents of nuclear energy say it’s the perfect complement to renewables since nuclear reactors are able to generate electricity around the clock. “Nuclear energy is indispensable along with renewable energy … We must devise strategy to attract further investment which is necessary to enhance the use of nuclear energy,” Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Komura Masahiro said during the Nuclear Energy Summit held yesterday by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
It’s a remarkable turnaround from fears stoked more than a decade ago when an earthquake and tsunami triggered a catastrophic meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Japan. In December, Japan was one of more than 20 countries that agreed to triple renewable energy capacity globally by 2050. The country still plans to prioritize renewable energy, Masahiro said, and “at the same time, Japan will continuously reflect upon the lessons from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and ensure that the use of nuclear power places safety as its top priority.”
There’s still skepticism over whether a nuclear renaissance is a good idea. Existing reactors and the radioactive waste they produce still pose risks. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has tried to broker agreements between Russia and Ukraine to prevent a meltdown at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant amid the ongoing war. In the US, tribes and environmental advocates have fought to stop a resurgence of uranium mining that has a legacy of polluting water sources in the past.
At the summit, John Podesta, US senior adviser to the president for clean energy innovation and implementation, touted the construction of the country’s first completely new power plant in decades. The Vogtle Unit 3 reactor in Georgia finally started operating last year, no less than $17 billion over budget after seven years of delays.
Next-generation nuclear reactors are supposed to be easier and cheaper to build. But they haven’t overcome the radioactive waste problem. They’ll require more highly enriched uranium, of which Russia has been the largest supplier. And a key demonstration project using advanced small modular reactors in Utah was canceled in November after costs soared.
Protesters with the environmental group Greenpeace attempted to block roads leading to the Nuclear Energy Summit yesterday, claiming they were able to delay the arrival of some delegates.
“All the evidence shows that nuclear power is too slow to build, too expensive, and it remains highly polluting and dangerous,” Greenpeace EU senior campaigner Lorelei Limousin said. “We are in a climate emergency, so time is precious, and the governments here today are wasting it with nuclear energy fairy tales.
ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:
There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
- All Things Nuclear
- Nuclear Power
- Nuclear Power Emergencies
- Nuclear War
- Nuclear War Threats
- Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no 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 (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS (03/23/2024):
All Things Nuclear
NEWS
Filling nuclear power’s $5 trillion hole is beyond the banks – The Portland Press Herald
The Portland Press Herald
Nuclear power could help reduce the use of fossil fuels, but financiers are waiting for a predictable, stable set of options.
International nuclear energy expert questions Michigan’s Palisades restart – Michigan Radio
Michigan Radio
All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:30 PM … about additional nuclear … Nuclear Regulatory Commission about permits to build a small modular nuclear …
Russia attacks Ukrainian electrical power facilities, causing widespread outages
Alabama Public Radio
All Things Acoustic · Bama Bluegrass · Classical … Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power installation. … nuclear accident. The dam at …
Nuclear Power
NEWS
Dozens of countries pledge support for nuclear power, despite lingering concerns
The Verge
More than 30 countries pledged to support nuclear energy, a controversial energy source seen as a potential solution to climate change, …
The U.S. could need the equivalent of 40 new nuclear plants over the next 5 years, by one …
Yahoo Finance
In Texas, a popular destination for crypto mining operations, miners have requested the equivalent of 41 new nuclear reactors’ worth of power, …
Filling nuclear power’s $5 trillion hole is beyond the banks – The Portland Press Herald
The Portland Press Herald
Nuclear power could help reduce the use of fossil fuels, but financiers are waiting for a predictable, stable set of options.
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEWS
Russian strike severs power line to Ukraine nuclear plant | Macau Business
Macau Business
… emergency situation”, said Ukraine’s atomic energy operator Energoatom. In the event that the final power line is cut, it said the plant will be …
Nuke plant owners defend staff cuts to skeptical public | New Hampshire | eagletribune.com
Eagle-Tribune
All employees at the company’s nuclear facilities play an emergency response role. The company will always ensure its facilities have appropriate …
Fact Check: Hydraulic fluid leak caused United emergency landing in Sydney, not fuel leak
Reuters
A hydraulic fluid leak caused a U.S.-bound United Airlines flight to return to Sydney for an emergency … Nuclear Power Plant near the city of Netishyn.
Nuclear War
NEWS
Nuclear War and Anti-Reason – Modern Diplomacy
Modern Diplomacy
Though Donald J. Trump did not exercise a nuclear war option as president, he did allow Kim Jong Un to upgrade and accelerate North Korea’s military …
Massive Russian attack targets Ukraine energy infrastructure – E&E News by POLITICO
E&E News
The attack put the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on the verge of a blackout, Ukraine’s energy ministry said. The Zaporizhzhia facility, the …
Russia pounds Ukrainian power facilities, Kremlin embraces ‘war‘ rhetoric – Reuters
Reuters
… war, and portrayed by Moscow as revenge for … A general view shows the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant near the city of Netishyn … war, and …
Nuclear War Threats
NEWS
Nuclear War and Anti-Reason – Modern Diplomacy
Modern Diplomacy
Strategic policies will have to deal with a variegated assortment of sub-national threats of WMD terrorism. Until now, insurgent enemies were …
As I See It: How to end the war in Ukraine – Greenfield Recorder
Greenfield Recorder
This action neutralizes Putin’s nuclear threats. With only three warheads, the Kiev government can invalidate Putin’s dangerous nuclear temptations …
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 22, 2024 | Critical Threats
Critical Threats
… threat coming from either Ukraine or NATO … war against Ukraine as a war against the West. … Belarusian authorities may have constructed a nuclear …
Thanks for reading All Things Nuclear!