Leading physicist calls China's nuclear programme 'rash and unsafe'

[bananas]

From last month:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8549384/Leading-physicist-calls-Chinas-nuclear-programme-rash-and-unsafe.html

Leading physicist calls China's nuclear programme 'rash and unsafe'

One of the scientists who worked on China's atomic bomb has warned that the "giddy speed and zero preparation" of the country's hugely ambitious nuclear energy programme could end in disaster.

By Malcolm Moore, Shanghai

8:41AM BST 01 Jun 2011

<snip>

However, Professor He Zuoxiu, one of the mainland's leading theoretical physicists, has warned that China is "seriously unprepared, especially on the safety front" for the rapid expansion.

Mr He compared the plan to Chairman Mao's Great Leap Forward, a period at the end of the 1950s when plans to industrialise and collectivise the Chinese economy led to disaster and mass famine.

<snip>

Mr He said that while he has been attacked for his views, "most people I know in the nuclear energy industry more or less agree with me, or do not have adequate answers to my questions."

A researcher with China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group told the South China Morning Post that Mr He's article had sent a shock through the industry, as the first influential scientist to challenge the government line.

<snip>

[aquart]

1. Gonna make nuclear energy like they make toys and cat food?

And dry wall?

[bananas]

2. The State Council Research Office warned they should slow down and concentrate on safety

back in January: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=270383&mesg_id=270676
At some point whistle-blowers will start to come forward.

[bananas]

3. And baby formula

After they couldn't put it in pet food anymore http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_pet_food_recalls
they started putting it into baby food:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Chinese_milk_scandal

<snip>

The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a food safety incident in the People's Republic of China, involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, adulterated with melamine.

By November 2008, China reported an estimated 300,000 victims,<1> with six infants dying from kidney stones and other kidney damage, and a further 860 babies hospitalised.<2><3> The chemical appeared to have been added to milk to cause it to appear to have a higher protein content. In a separate incident four years before, watered-down milk had resulted in 13 infant deaths from malnutrition.<4>

<snip>

In late October 2008, similar adulteration with melamine was discovered in eggs and possibly other food, traced to melamine being added to animal feed—despite a ban imposed in June 2007 following the scandal over pet food ingredients exported to the United States.<9>

As of July 2010, Chinese authorities were still reporting some seizures of melamine-contaminated dairy product in some provinces, though it was unclear whether these new contaminations constituted wholly new adulterations or were the result of illegal reuse of material from the 2008 adulterations.<10>

<snip>

[kristopher]

4. Former China nuclear head jailed for life over bribes

Former China nuclear head jailed for life over bribes

The former head of China's main nuclear energy company has been jailed for life for taking almost $1m in bribes.

Kang Rixin was dismissed last year from the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation, the biggest operator of nuclear power plants in China.

...Reports at the time of his arrest said the bribes were paid by a foreign company that wanted to build nuclear power stations in China.

"Kang was convicted of having abused his power, enabled profits for others, and taken large amount of bribes," official news agency Xinhua said, quoting a court official.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4621530

What could possibly go wrong?

[FBaggins]

5. And you think that has something to do with nuclear power in particular, don't you?

Gwailo have been paying kam siā to Chinese functionaries for centuries.

I wouldn't want to stake my life that solar manufacturers who want to build in China aren't doing the same were I you. :)

[kristopher]

6. Yes I do. Corruption means the required level of safety for nuclear...

...is nothing more than an illusion. I agree that corruption is endemic, especially within large-scale government projects, everywhere in the world. And since nuclear power has no room for things like substandard valves, welds, concrete and regulators the issue of corruption is particularly troubling.

[kristopher]

7. Don't you think that corruption in building nuclear plants is bad?

Are you really so far gone that you'd attempt to downplay the problematic nature of bribery being part of the construction process for nuclear plants?

[SpoonFed]

8. Is that crickets I hear in the background? n/t

[kristopher]

9. Yes, it is.

[FBaggins]

11. Of course.

It's also bad in the other energy industries.

Especially if we're talking about cumshaw in China.

The point was that this is hardly uncommon (let alone restricted to nuclear power) in China. And it works both ways. Just look at the wind/solar manufacturing industry that I've corrected you on a few times in recent months. China blatantly violated international trade law and bribed many of those companies to shift manufacturing to China.

[kristopher]

12. corruption in a wind farm construction is as bad as corruption in nuclear plant construction?

You have lost touch with reality.

[FBaggins]

13. Sure.

If the "corruption" is "bribe the government official who allows the company to enter the country" - then it's the corruption itself that is the concern.

It's different if the corruption is "take this cash to say we installed the right safety equipment when we never really ordered it"... but the story you've mentioned doesn't say that.

[kristopher]

10. Buehler.... Buehler.... nt