Carnival of Nuclear Power, #51

Rod Adams offers us a review of an essay titled, The End of Nuclear Power, by Roland Kupers, a former Royal Dutch Shell executive and current visiting fellow at Oxford University. According to Rod Kupers asserts that nuclear power plant prices have increased nine fold since 1970. But in fact the price of oil has in ceased from less than $3 a barrel in 1970 to over $100 a barrel today, with the cost of gasoline rising from 30 cents a gallon to 5.00 dollars a gallon.

Rod tells us,

Rarely is there such a clear example supporting my theory that the strength behind the antinuclear movement comes from established energy interests whose wealth and power is threatened by the prospect of competition from a clean, concentrated, abundant, and affordable source of power.

Carnival goers have had to endure a dreadful clown act from Helen Caldicott recently, and Rod offers us a review essay, "Don Luckey versus Helen Caldicott – Low Dose Radiation Health Effects," on ANS Nuclear Cafe. Unlike Helen Caldicott, Dr. Don Luckey's work has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He asserts that spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt [FUD] about radiation at even the low levels routinely achieved by the nuclear energy industry is part of a decades-old marketing strategy by the established energy industry.

Dan Yurman offers us nother critical review of Caldicott's clowing skills in, Answering Helen Caldicott. Dan tells us,

Caldicott blithely ignores the work of the National Academy of Sciences in its BEIR VII report which includes a panel of world class scientists from a dozen or more different disciplines.

David Bradish offers an account written by the NEi's Senior Director of Political Affairs, Hannah Simone of hearings of the House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Energy and Power and the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy. The post, titled Hearing Report on the “Role of the NRC in America's Energy Future,” summarized the semi-contentious hearing where House Members grilled the NRC Commissioners on a number of issues.

Gail Marcus presents, "Fukushima and Amakudari: A Problem with a Long History," which explains at least part of the news reports we have been hearing of an overly cozy relationship between the nuclear industry and its regulator in Japan, from the perspective of someone who has lived and worked in Japan.

Brian Wang of Next Big Future presents no less than 4 Carnival acts this week:

Two bets for 2010 on uranium production were officially confirmed as being won by me and
another will be officially confirmed shortly on nuclear power generation.
http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/05/official-confirmation-that-i-won-three.html

Aneutrino detectors ($100,000-250,000 each) are closer to being able to help prevent nuclear proliferation
http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/05/antineutrino-detectors-closer-to.html

Waste heat from nuclear power plants and other power generation and industrial facilities could be captured using new micro gap thermal photovoltaics
http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/05/micron-gap-thermalphotovoltaics-update.html

Update on a nuclear fusion project. Larger scale inertial electrostatic prototype is working as expected and there will be an official report in about 12 months.
http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/05/iec-fusion-wb8-prototype-is-operating.html

Krik Sorensen recently celebrated the fifth anaversary of Energy From Thorium, and offered us "Five Years of Energy from Thorium," Kirk's reflections on the short history of his innovative blog.

Dan Yurman also offers us, Three major utilities confirm plans are on track for construction of six new reactors.The post is needless to say fact laden and professional, qualities we have grown to expect from Dan.

I am continuing my series explaining the potential diversity of the Molten Salt Reactor family. This weeks post include:
The Molten Salt Reactor Family: One Fluid Reactors

The Molten Salt Reactor Family: Two Fluid Reactors

The Molten Salt Reactor Family: Converters and Breeders

Canadian Energy Issues offer us The political economy of climate funding: the case of the atom a review of the implication of the recent Canadian election campaign for the future of the Canadian Nuclear Industry.