Mutually-assured energy independence

[wtmusic]

Dr. Charles Forsberg is the Executive Director for the MIT Nuclear Fuel Cycle Study. Before joining MIT he was a Corporate Fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He is a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Forsberg received the 2002 American Nuclear Society Special Award for Innovative Nuclear Reactors, and in 2005 the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Robert E. Wilson Award in recognition of chemical engineering contributions to nuclear energy, including his work on reprocessing, waste management, repositories, and production of liquid fuels using nuclear energy. He holds 10 patents and has published more than 250 papers.

"Every energy source has unique characteristics that deserve careful consideration and comparison. Renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines and solar panels, do not emit greenhouse gases but produce power intermittently and require large areas of land. Oil and gas are convenient and easily stored but are concentrated in limited locations, particularly in the Persian Gulf. Coal is abundant but massive quantities of materials must be processed, resulting in large-scale land disturbances and climate change.

For nuclear energy, its most unique characteristic is the massive energy output embodied in each kilogram of uranium fuel—nearly a million times the energy density of fossil fuels. Most of nuclear energy's advantages (such as its relatively small waste volumes) and disadvantages (such as its potential use in nuclear weapons) are a consequence of this characteristic.

Only 200 tons of milled uranium are needed to fuel a 1,000-megawatt nuclear reactor for a year. That makes the cost of uranium fuel only two to four percent of the final cost of the electricity. Low fuel costs and high energy density enable a country to affordably stockpile a couple years' worth of nuclear fuel in a space no larger than a small warehouse. That can assure a country's energy independence, which has major implications for war and peace."

http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/roundtables/nuclear-energy-different-other-energy-sources

[kristopher]

1. Now, that is an opinion based on clearly stated facts weighted within a given set of values.

I disagree with his value assessment of the importance of space and intermittency, as well as the risk posed by nuclear.

To me, this incident undermines the premise that nuclear power is benign in comparison to renewable technologies.
Fas quoted by the Japan Times, former Japanese Prime Minister Kan, in office during Fukushima's meltdowns, has this to say.

"It was truly a spine-chilling thought," he told the Tokyo Shimbun, adding that he foresaw a situation in which greater Tokyo's 30 million people would have to be evacuated, a move that would "compromise the very existence of the Japanese nation".

... "The power was totally lost and there was no cooling capacity," Kan said. "I knew what that meant and I thought, 'This is going to be a disaster'."

His unease grew when his trade minister, Banri Kaieda, told him that Tepco was considering pulling its staff out of the plant and leaving it to its fate. "Withdrawing from the plant was out of the question," he said. "If that had happened, Tokyo would be deserted by now. It was a critical moment for Japan's survival. It could have been a led to leaks of dozens of times more radiation than Chernobyl."

...Kan defended the gradual widening of the exclusion zone, and his conversion to a non-nuclear energy policy: "If there is a risk of accidents that could make half the land mass of our country uninhabitable, then we cannot afford to take that risk."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x310531

[kristopher]

2. I want to thank you, btw. That is a great edition of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.

http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/roundtables/nuclear-energy-different-other-energy-sources

Everyone should read the 7 brief articles.

[AndyTiedye]

3. I Went to MIT Too

and I can recognize a lame-ass attempt at damage control when I see one.

[Sherman A1]

4. +1

:thumbsup:

[wtmusic]

5. Since you're pulling out your creds halfway

I'll ask to see the rest of them. I'm sure you won't mind:

Were you a Corporate Fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)?
Are you a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society?
Do you have anything to do with the American Association for the Advancement of Science?
Did you ever win the American Nuclear Society Special Award for Innovative Nuclear Reactors?
Did you ever win the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Robert E. Wilson Award in recognition of chemical engineering contributions to nuclear energy?
Do you hold 10 patents? Do you hold one patent?
Have you published more than 250 papers? Have you published one paper?

Thanks.