Solar And Wind Versus Nuclear: Is Baseload Power Obsolete?
South Africa is facing a crossroads for electric power generation. Should it go with renewables or nuclear power? The decision could affect other contries on the continent.
South Africa is facing a crossroads for electric power generation. Should it go with renewables or nuclear power? The decision could affect other contries on the continent.
The recent drop in gas prices in the US, while a boon to consumers, is no indication of the viability or longevity of fossil fuels, and continuing to bet on coal, even so-called “clean coal,” or on seemingly-abundant natural gas, isn’t a good move for anyone except the coal power industry. With all that we
Cherry blossoms in the foreground of Mount Fuji (image: ladyadventurer.co.uk) So far, at least, the famed blossoming cherry trees of Japan don’t discriminate geographically. This time of year, they grace even the surroundings of nuclear power generators shaken by earthquake, tsunami, and meltdowns three years ago. Otherwise, though, the Fukushima landscape remains desolate. Despite widespread
For this little Fukushima irony, many thanks to Fukushimaemergencywhatcanwedo.blogspot.com!
Though we try to keep a very positive focus here, PlanetSave isn’t just a blog about the wonders of the natural world and the glory of Mankind’s inventions. It also offers knowledge and a caution about our failures as individuals and as a species. We’ve all made mistakes before, big and small. By acknowledging anthropogenic
Bad news from the annual American Geophysical Union’s Ocean Sciences Meeting in Honolulu. Researchers there announced today that radioactive isotopes from the Fukushima nuclear disaster, when three reactors melted down after the March 11, 2011, Tohoku earthquake and subsequent mega-tsunami, have finally reached the West Coast. John Smith, a research scientist at Canada’s Bedford Institute
With a photo of fuel rod assemblies in the background, nuclear engineer, former executive, and educator Arnie Gundersen explains his doubts yesterday about the nuclear fuel relocation at Fukushima Unit 4 (screenshot). Brace yourselves. Japanese media and the UPI reported early today that TEPCO has scheduled the ticklish job of relocating highly radioactive nuclear fuel
It’s time to do away with coal-fired power plants and Nuclear Energy and switch to renewable energy sources. Coal not only destroys the air we breath, but the mining of it destroys our land and water supply. Nuclear is way too dangerous as we all found out from the disaster that happened in Japan last year
Over 200 anti-nuclear activists blocked the Hinkley Point power plant in Somerset, UK yesterday. While the effort is now over, the activists consider the event to have been a wonderful success.
We have featured a number of WellHome’s infographics on our site and, as a result, the folks there decided to ask us what matters we thought were most important at the moment and worth creating infographics about. I supplied them with my feedback and they’ve gone ahead and made an infographic on some of the topics I thought was hot and worthy of their time.
One of our most popular stories over the past week was about a Nebraska nuclear power plant (or two, actually) at risk of some serious problems. A ton of people have been coming to our site via Google searches related to that for days. Normally, with such big news, we have to compete with other leading news sites for such views and may get a lot fo traffic for awhile, but generally not for several days. But, that didn’t seem to happen this time. Turns out, there may have been an obvious reason for that.
A fire in an electrical switch room on Tuesday briefly knocked out cooling for a pool holding spent nuclear fuel at the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant outside Omaha, Neb., plant officials said….
One of the big news stories of the day is a bright one for those concerned about nuclear power. In Italy, Silvio Berlusconi’s nuclear power plans got crushed by a public referendum when well over 90% of voters voted “Heck No!” (but yeah, not in those words).
Check that out! Some Greenpeace activists in Italy dropped a huge anti-nuclear banner 20 minutes into a huge Italian soccer match (and you know Italians are huge soccer fans). Furthermore, the banner stayed up for the whole game!
The game was apparently the Italian league finals for the Coppa Italia — the Italian Cup. The two teams playing were renowned Palermo and Internazionale (Inter) Milan.
One of our loyal readers (the creator of the environmental music film above) passed on to me that Florida Power & Light (FPL) wants to put two new nuclear reactors on the shores of Biscayne Bay and the South Florida Wildlands Association is organizing a mock evacuation and rally for tomorrow (Saturday) in opposition to such a plan. Here’s more….
The title above comes fro the YouTube page. For more, watch the video
Here are a couple of great cartoons by Tom Toles on U.S. politics, Wall Street, energy “policy” in the U.S., climate change, and our response to the nuclear disaster in Japan.
On Friday, March 18, four major medical and scientific organizations*, including The Endocrine Society, and the Society of Nuclear Medicine, issued a joint public statement concerning the real risks from the recent, ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan.
Two months ago, I wrote a post on a survey of energy professionals and what energy policies they recommended. The results of the survey, which was conducted by Bloomberg Businessweek Research Services and funded by ABB, are worth coming back to in light of the horrible nuclear catastrophe occurring in Japan right now.
Japan’s Emperor, in his first public appearance since Japan was struck by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami, stated that he was “deeply concerned” about the nuclear energy situation there and said, “I am deeply hurt by the grievous situation in the affected areas.”
Summary update from the Guardian at 8:35am EST: • A “core meltdown” might have occurred at reactor 2 Fukushima Daiichi. NHK World reports, as fears grow over the safety of the nuclear plant continues. Fuel rods are reportedly fully exposed. The nuclear and industrial safety agency (NISA) has tried to circulate the coolant by steam
I’ve done an early read of reactions to Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address (full text) from leading green thinkers around the web. It is always interesting to see how different people with the same overall intentions view something — what they focus on can be quite different. Reflecting on and integrating some of
Yes, first of all, by stabilize we don’t mean keep it exactly the same — that is impossible. We mean not pumping it so full of CO2 that we see unprecedented warming and ‘natural’ disasters and perhaps even an unlivable climate at some point. Anyway, this post is a share of an in-depth post by
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/fgT-QfcjXw4&hl=pl_PL&fs=1] Here is this week’s “greencast” or screencast of great green news from around the internet (that we didn’t already cover). Enjoy the video above via YouTube or in high definition on screenr. By the way, if you happen to notice the sound of pedestrians, cyclists or streetcars in the background, it is because I
Nuclear energy experts warning that proposed deregulation of the nuclear energy industry could result in a nuclear-style BP oil spill disaster. [social_buttons] Just as deregulation of the oil industry was a key factor leading to the BP oil spill, energy experts are warning that we may be setting ourselves up for a disaster in the
The Prairie Island nuclear plant at Red Wing, Minnesota, on the Mississippi River. Nuclear power advocates want to repeal the state’s 15-year-old ban on new nuclear plants. [social_buttons] The state that enacted one of the nation’s most farsighted clean energy laws in 2007 may be a battleground over nuclear power in 2010. A coalition of
There is a controversial decision to be made in Maryland soon regarding a nuclear reactor that might be built there. Similar to reactors being built in Finland that British and Finnish regulators are finding problems with, this reactor would be built largely by a French nuclear technocratic elite who are operating in a questionable and
With the historic passage of climate legislation through the House of Representatives, many concerns have trickled forth. Does the climate legislation do enough? Will it even work? Does it have the right aim? With the issuance of similar concerns have come proposed solutions and substitutions. The republicans have proposed that 100 nuclear power plants be built by 2030 in place of the proposed cap-and-trade climate bill. I’ve recently written two articles on the republican “solution” to both the climate and economic crises. And today I’m writing more.
“We all remember this time last year,” said Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., at a hearing on Capitol Hill on Monday. “We were in the midst of an energy crisis, paying $4 for a gallon of gasoline, and Americans were seeing their utility bills skyrocketing.” Since then, he went on to say, the energy problems haven’t disappeared and no changes in policy have been made.
[social_buttons] In southeast Utah rests a peaceful town located on the banks of a peaceful river. Here the Green River flows between two canyons, Gray and Labyrinth, allowing for farming and ranching in an arid desert. Driving through Green River, Utah doesn’t take but a few moments, including a stop to purchase some mouth-watering melons,
Just another reason why uranium isn’t the way to go, it costs the taxpayer way too much money for what he receives. Take the former Fernald Feed Materials Production Center at Fernald, Ohio, that’s about 20 miles northwest of Cincinnati. The former uranium processing site opened in complete secrecy during the Cold War in 1951.
For all the minorities in this country who have raised pluperfect hell about their past or current situations, the American Indian has been the quietist, and I wonder why. Before you write me nasty emails, I’m not minimizing the concerns of minorities in this country: they have their issues and the right to use their
I was reading some recent headlines about Yucca Mountain, claiming the federal government will face heavy penalties and judgments if the project isn’t finished. Read beyond the headlines my friends, “we” fund the government, the money comes from our pockets, and it isn’t chicken feed. The latest estimates are, that if Yucca Mountain isn’t finished
I never thought I’d consider nuclear power a desirable solution to climate change until I read James Lovelock’s latest book, “The Revenge of Gaia: Earth’s Climate Crisis & the Fate of Humanity” (see my previous post on the issue here).
The British government manipulated its public consultation proceedings on plans for new nuclear power plants to ensure “particular and limited answers,” according to a new report from the Nuclear Consultation Working Group. Government officials say new nuclear facilities are needed to replace others going offline over the next two decades and are an important part
Our lawmakers have agreed to increase funding to guarantee up to 80% of loans for nuclear expansion. 17 companies are reportedly planning construct up to 30 new nuclear power stations. I decided to dedicate my first official Planetsave podcast to the nuclear industry and the threats to our safety that come with it. Several links