Nuclear is premature but very close.
They industry representative on TYT the other day was selling a very old design that has ben updated and resold for around 40-50 years. They know the new technology is on the horizon and old nuclear invested companies know this is their last chance to sell us old designs.
Please look at exactly how advance the designs he is promoting. Fail safe designs with robust redundant failovers are part of every reactor cooling system. To the degree they are safe really boils down to hardening against operation failure and catastrophe.
Only a couple designs can truly call themselves safe during a conflict or earthquake. Few designs have figured this out to satisfactory degree.
I have direct experience with California stagnation and special interest driven approach to issuing geothermal permitting in energy production.
PG&E or related interest seems to have some form of capture over California Department of Energy and the oversight of the permitting process.
Answers the advocate gave about nuclear waste storage were omitting the fact that they are notorious for not sealing properly. The casks leak far before the lifetime they were expected to have.
Also Yucca mountain is a boondoggle in an of itself.
1 Like
The following is done in collaboration with ChatGPT.
Ana, your unwavering commitment to accountability and justice has been a guiding light in our discussions. As we navigate the complexities of energy policy, your voice serves as a beacon for fairness and transparency. With that in mind, let’s explore some key points:
- Diablo Canyon reactor sits on a fault line, and recent events in Ukraine remind us of the geopolitical implications of nuclear plant failures during wartime.
- Japan’s ongoing struggle with Fukushima’s contaminated soil underscores the long-term consequences of nuclear disasters, often exacerbated by corruption and lax safety standards.
- Despite claims of advancements, current reactor designs are merely adding fail-safes that should have been in the original blueprints, raising significant concerns about safety and reliability.
- A quick look at Three Mile Island provides valuable insights into the real-world impacts of nuclear accidents and the importance of stringent safety measures.
- The Chernobyl disaster serves as a stark reminder of the catastrophic consequences of a relaxed safety culture and corruption in the nuclear industry.
- The issue of leaking waste storage casks further emphasizes the need for rigorous oversight and accountability in the nuclear sector, as highlighted on the Nuclear News segment of Le Show podcast.
- PG&E’s history of negligence highlights the dangers of profit-driven decision-making, potentially hindering the development of safer energy alternatives like geothermal.
- Despite challenges, it’s crucial to explore innovative solutions like advanced thorium and fission technologies, which promise to deliver sustainable energy with minimal waste.
Let’s rally behind advancements in nuclear technology that offer safe, efficient, and waste-free energy solutions.
1 Like
I have one more angle I would like to add.
California is unique and one of our qualities is we have sever drought and rain. This means we are unique utilize hydro electric projects. This not only increases power generation but also water capacity at a time where we are going to really need it.
We underutilize tidal electric applications as well as; small, and medium size hydro electric projects.
2 Likes
This is what I was wondering about. Thank you for the information.
1 Like
I find Ana’s understanding and presentation of anything energy related to be woefully misguided. She seems to have a bias against solar and wind for some reason I can’t fathom.
Technological innovation over the last decade or so in renewables has been THE story driving the energy revolution. Costs have plummeted, creativity in electricity saving has soared, and the urgency of getting off fossil fuels has only grown. In short, nuclear may have a place in our future, but Ana’s dismissal of renewables as the quicker and more thorough option is unhelpful, to say the least.
1 Like
I can see this point of view. I think that she was coming form a point of view that held baseline capacity is king. This is due to the fact that some renewables peek output isn’t lined up against peek consumption. Nuclear would be a way to remedy that, but so is geothermal and hydro electric. Hydro electric is obviously not fool proof due the fact you need rain fall but may have ancillary benefits such as water storage.
Wind and solar are pretty great options for many places in California. One thing about recent climate change news that is a bit disturbing is that global wind speed averages are actually decreasing.
2 Likes
Industrial battery storage is also advancing in ways unimaginable just a decade ago. I’m not talking about small-scale energy storage in households and cars; there are now ways to capture and later distribute power at large-scale utility levels. Though it seems Ana has no idea this is even a thing!
2 Likes
Yes you are correct as far as I understand it.
I have a friend that works in related space. As you imply the technology in its application is state of the art. The company he works with also has a bit of a rough time marketing their systems to private firms.
It is funny how often things boil down to momentum and education.
1 Like
Yep. I’m no expert, but one of the podcasts I listen to is ‘Volts’ hosted by David Roberts.
The impression I get is there are a bunch of new storage technologies that are proving to be incredibly efficient, surprisingly so, and seemingly robust for the long-term, though only time will tell. But the sector is so nascent it’s taking awhile for the utilities and regulators to accept and adopt these large scale, like the size of buildings, batteries. Then they need to be built!
The race is on, and I’m worried another Trump administration will dismantle the progress made so far in order to keep the fossil fuel industry afloat, which needless to say, would likely be the final nail in the coffin for this current civilization… now hanging on by a thread.
1 Like
Don’t worry I know Trump is bad. The problem is if we are not allowed power Biden’s minions will run just the left of Trump. That will be not much different than electing Trump.
I am not going to elect Trump. Trump will be a non-issue and those will use Trump as a boogieman to clamp down on us further. This seems obvious to many at this point.
Biden need to jump in front of the march. It is a classic move there is a popular movement you move to them and pretend you were there the whole time. This wasn’t done and many find that odd. Now it looks like Biden is taking over the Trump tyrannical tendencies and we are showing you (the public) that we find that unacceptable.
The problem you have is the media has made the students the story. The students know the media is full of rancid thoughts because those stories are about them. They know who they are; and now they know who is a propagandist, and who is a media establishment.
These mischaracterizations of students that cause damages to that student could be consider tortious actions. Media outlets are not protected from slander. Admittedly the standard for proof is very difficult to satisfy.
1 Like
Yes, on Israel/Gaza Biden is little different than Trump. But he’s far better than any Republican would ever be on climate and energy.
Biden really has done quite a bit to juice the transition away from FFs while people like my representative, Troy Balderson who sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee, is constantly diminishing the threat of climate change and working to advance legislation that shovels even more money to the coal, natural gas, and oil conglomerates.
And if we don’t advance toward an end to fossil fuels fast, the slaughter of Palestinians will be known as just the first of a century of genocides, given the numbers of climate migrants and refugees that will be created, rather than an aberration that was caused by a unique situation in the most volatile part of the globe.
We barely survived a first Trump administration. The assertion we could survive another is ludicrous, imo.
1 Like
Yeah I just see that as fixating on a false choice.
Jill Stein will be the next president if you ask me.
I actually see a double ticket, if Stein took on either John Stewart, or Bernie Sanders, it is fait accompli for Joe’s presidential run.
I find it great to have a double Jewish ticket as well. It will be grand!
1 Like
I see something inherently optimistic in you, which is refreshing because you also seem to come from a place of deep knowledge and understanding. Many, including me at times, feel unable to hold on to such optimism in the face of such adversity. You remind me to stay firm in my belief that our future while challenging, is also abundant with eternal hope and endless possibilities.
1 Like
Honestly I saw all this play out 2 years out roughly.
It really scared me and I started to speak up.
Not much later I heard Cenk start to make the same conclusions on air. I knew if we both saw the same conclusion independently it was a real problem.
I knew it would take me a long time to convince anyone (I am notoriously bad at convincing others in a timely fashion). I am glad I started when I did. I hope we can counter the momentum and I am given hope that so many seem to feel the same way.
Thanks for being one who keeps the hope alive.
1 Like
I was also skeptical about that segment. Of course someone in his position would promote nuclear energy. But as was mentioned, there are so many alternatives that dont have these huge problems.
We moved into a new house about 7 years ago and I immediately started looking into solar. My husband was extremely skeptical. After all, we live in upstate NY- definitely not the sunniest place to live.
But we’re on 7 years and we love it! NYS uses net metering, which means any excess electricity goes into the grid and they keep track of the amounts. So at night we pull from the system but we make so much electricity that we have never gone beyond what we’ve produced.
Essentially this means we only pay about $17 a month for the hookup and fees. Over the life of the system we’ll probably save over $20,000 in electricity bills.
That is for individuals but There are SO many options for each state. Here in NY we have Niagara falls which is well known but there’s another facility , the Blenheim-Gilboa plant in the Catskill mountains that’s essentially a man-made waterfall . And i believe its about 50 years old.
Its really fascinating. (Disclaimer: I was an art director at a nearby kids camp so I’ve done the tour dozens of times. Lol)
We can and should do better than nuclear power.
2 Likes
Solar is great, I agree.
We as a nation are majorly underutilized in both geothermal and hydroelectric.
I would just like to add the new cutting edge nuclear is really the way forward. I just don’t want us to shoot ourselves in the foot here when were so close to the good stuff.
It is the old don’t rescue defeat from the jaws of victory.
1 Like