Agree we need to open some more nuclear power plants. Democrats have forced us back into fossil fuel sources and those are increasing in price at ever alarming rates.


[[[smoke]]]

I think this is a fairly positive step for the US. However, I disagree with

quote:

The Bush proposals come as the nation's economy continues to be threatened by high gas prices. Nothing in the new proposals would have any impact on current prices, White House aides said. Instead, they are targeted at "the root problem of our energy situation," a senior administration official said.

as the measures are really more like peeing one's pants on a cold winters day: It provides initial comformt, but later on it will only make matters worse.
Both nuclear and coal energy sources will run out - and the day when they do will approach rapidly once oil and natural gas have been exhausted. The more long-sighted solutions would be windmills, solar panels, wave mills, research in fusion, and investments in mass transit systems.

quote:

Originally posted by smokeape Agree we need to open some more nuclear power plants. Democrats have forced us back into fossil fuel sources and those are increasing in price at ever alarming rates. [[[smoke]]]

why was their reasoning for doing so?

open some more nuclear power plants is a good thing, but more refineries is dumb, as oil becomes increasingly expensive and pollutes much.

Makes me wonder why Iran isn't allowed to use Nuclear plants..

___________________

quote:

Originally posted by Octanesyco Greetings. My name is Casey. You can call me Moose. -Moose

When I heard about this I cheered, inwardly, as I heard that nuclear plants will finally begin construction again for the first time in 30 years. Now there are, of course, critics of nuclear power. They state:

1. Opens ourselves to catastrophic terrorist attacks.
Now, unless a member of the Taliban somehow manages to slip into a nuclear facility undetected and then gain access to the highly guarded and secure nuclear rod room, all while managing to slip in a large explosive of some kind, it is extremely unlikely that a meltdown could be caused.

A 2002 study using computer modeling by internationally recognized experts found the structures that house nuclear reactor fuel -- including dry storage containers -- would protect against a release of radiation even if struck by a large commercial jetliner.

A test at Sandia National Labs confirmed a computer analysis of the impact of a plane crashing into a concrete structure like a containment building. An F-4 Phantom jet was destroyed when it hit at 480 miles per hour. The maximum penetration to the concrete wall was 2.4 inches.

2. We will run out of nuclear fuel.
Yes, I must admit, we will run out of uranium to fuel the nuclear plants. However, this will happen in oh about hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Present reactors that use only the U-235 in natural uranium are very likely good for some hundreds of years. Bernard Cohen has shown that with breeder reactors, we can have plenty of energy for some billions of year.

Cohen's argument is based on using uranium from sea water. Other people have pointed out that there is more energy in the uranium impurity in coal than in could come from burning the coal. There is also plenty of uranium in granite. None of these sources is likely to be used in the next thousand years, because there is plenty of much more cheaply extracted uranium in conventional uranium ores.
http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/...uclear-faq.html

3. Nuclear waste.
Here, the critics have a point. There really hasn't been much of a solution for nuclear waste, other than cooling tanks. As of right now the U.S. cooling tanks are near capacity, and more will need to be built. Hopefully, as time passes and the U.S. invests more into nuclear power research a better solution will be found.

___________________
Lost Souls

quote:

Originally posted by kush paintings 3. Nuclear waste. Here, the critics have a point. There really hasn't been much of a solution for nuclear waste, other than cooling tanks. As of right now the U.S. cooling tanks are near capacity, and more will need to be built. Hopefully, as time passes and the U.S. invests more into nuclear power research a better solution will be found.

More waste from the 300 atleast wind farms (100ft+ towers and 50ft+ blades) you need for each nuclear power plant?

I'm a medium term nuclear fan, I'd wait until renewable tech is further developed and tested elsewhere. But short term fossil fuel based plants are obviously going to kill us via global warming.

The terroist thing does worry me though a F4 is a tiny plane compared to say a 747 (not even starting on the A380!). But any nuclear reactor will have a huge amount of "stuff" i.e. building around it before you get anywhere near the reactor pressure vessel.

One thing to rember though is given the failure rate (as low and expensive as it is) of nuclear power plants an accident will happen or atleast is predicted.

But unless you intend on closing up all the old (most likely to break actually) power plants in the short term then the risk exposure of new ones isn't that much of an added risk so long as the tech used is proven.

In short well done on this one George you bit the bullet unlike the arse holes here who just love to shy away from it that is Tony Blair (in fact I spoke to a guy who's talked to him about it and he knows the situation he's just keeping it quiet till after the election).

___________________
If you can read this, I'm seriously fucking bored.

quote:

Originally posted by Dervish I'm a medium term nuclear fan, I'd wait until renewable tech is further developed and tested elsewhere.

You mean like on planets near Alpha Centauri?

Regarding nuclear fuels, I read some five years ago that the supplies would last about 300 years, with *current* consumptions, but less than 40 if the entire earth's energy requirements should be met by nuclear fission. Don't know if the technology has matured enormously since then, or much more resources have been found, but if not, then building nuclear power plants cannot really be said to be the solution.

quote:

Originally posted by trancaholic You mean like on planets near Alpha Centauri? Regarding nuclear fuels, I read some five years ago that the supplies would last about 300 years, with *current* consumptions, but less than 40 if the entire earth's energy requirements should be met by nuclear fission. Don't know if the technology has matured enormously since then, or much more resources have been found, but if not, then building nuclear power plants cannot really be said to be the solution.

Nah maybe Germany.

___________________
If you can read this, I'm seriously fucking bored.