tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post5583074283585971333..comments2024-02-16T17:52:44.944-06:00Comments on The Nuclear Green Revolution: No Silver Bullets for the RAECharles Bartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01125297013064527425noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-16455870265073952162010-03-29T19:51:03.212-05:002010-03-29T19:51:03.212-05:00I wonder what would the World War-2 generation of ...I wonder what would the World War-2 generation of Royal Engineers say about present day wimps?<br />The guys in WW2, or shortly after, were not afraid to undertake any project. Today, the statement from RAE must be politically correct before any common sense. With the ideology like that coming from the prestigious engineering institution we are all in very serious trouble. Hold on to your wallet, the rape rates for electric power are coming to your town.Frank Kandrnalnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-73037282208479304192010-03-26T02:29:02.288-05:002010-03-26T02:29:02.288-05:00I have to say, I wonder if the RAE have done nucle...I have to say, I wonder if the RAE have done nuclear power a favour.<br /><br />If they'd said "Britain can do it if they use lots of nuclear power" they would simply end up being attacked by greenpeace and the other anti-nuclear groups.<br /><br />Instead they've said that Britain can't do it easily, with as much renewable power as possible, even with a modest mix of nuclear to fill the gaps.<br /><br />That surely puts the anti-nuclear, pro-renewables camp in a much weaker position. They have to defend their pro-renewable stance, rather than attack someone else's pro-nuclear position.Tony Wildishhttp://www.wildish.eu/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-6596230717828882492010-03-23T09:52:31.942-05:002010-03-23T09:52:31.942-05:00History demonstrates that there indeed have been &...History demonstrates that there indeed have been "silver bullets" in the field of energy. At a time when firewood was getting scarce in Europe, coal came along as a silver bullet. And before coal became scarce, oil came along as yet another silver bullet. Nuclear represents the next silver bullets. The first round has already been fired with the fission of U235. Unfortunately, there are many whose vision is so poor that they cannot see that it has hit the target. There are more rounds in the ammo clip with thorium, and breeder reactors for uranium. Again, there are many with such poor vision that they cannot see the ammo clip either.donbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-75833474290509402932010-03-22T21:23:49.527-05:002010-03-22T21:23:49.527-05:00@SteveK9 -- You could either 'MoX' your me...@SteveK9 -- You could either 'MoX' your metaphors or stick both oars in the water without rocking the boat.<br /><br />And I agree with your assessment about nuclear companies being unwilling to tout their technology as being the best, if perhaps not the only, answer.DocForesightnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-82604045779007941532010-03-22T10:28:52.829-05:002010-03-22T10:28:52.829-05:00The whole 'there is no silver bullet' and ...The whole 'there is no silver bullet' and 'we must utilize a broad mixture of technologies', and similar comments are political, not technical. On the face of it such a thing is unlikely. We need baseload and load-following technologies. Two or three approaches are going to be best.<br /><br />Even the advocates of nuclear are too frightened to tell politicians, 'look, nuclear is the answer' (you see wimpy statements like the above on Areva's blog all the time). They want to get the ball rolling without rocking the boat (to mix metaphors). <br /><br />I think you will see nuclear plants built. They will do the job, they will get cheaper. This will all happen in Asia first. Then those countries will scale back and eventually abandon windmills and mirrors (I've read that grid operators in China are complaining about incorporating the wind farms into their systems). The rest of the world will follow close behind.<br /><br />Unfortunately I think the long-term solutions like LFTR will have to wait until fear of nuclear power is greatly diminished in the western countries.SteveK9noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-16402987617436019342010-03-22T07:47:35.929-05:002010-03-22T07:47:35.929-05:00Hi Charles,
Actually, the first post on Britain&#...Hi Charles,<br /><br />Actually, the first post on Britain's energy future is by Douglas Wise, the 2nd post on the RAE study is by me and Martin Nicholson.Barry Brookhttp://bravenewclimate.comnoreply@blogger.com