Chernobyl was the worst, so far. Yet it did not destroy all of Russia. Why are people unreasonably fearful that the Japanese disaster will irradiate us?
Why are we even bothering to send our kids to school? For generations we expect kids will grow up and design and build the next 'better mouse trap', but the hysterical media seeks to send us back to candle light, slaughtering sheep over a wood camp fire.
This 40 year old plant has coped well with the magnitude of the disaster thrust upon it. In these 40 years, gravity fed plants no longer need pumps, can be built inland, away from faults and operated robotically.
Our kids designed the improvements because they believe we need to get away from coal and oil. They are waiting to be built to replace the less safe plants in operation around the globe (none of which, besides chernobyl, have ever killed a soul). Let's let them try.
The Harrisburg State House proposes a third nuclear power core for the Berwick station. Nuclear energy corporations should establish superior mechanical and technical operations for the plant. Certainly, this plan will avoid the current Japanese fiasco.
Sheeple are so stupid. I suppose the media is partially at fault. The countless lives lost to energy production from coal, gas, oil, hydroelectric, and various other forms of generation are never reported. The horrors of lives destroyed by the pollution from fossil fuel plants are not mentioned. I'm not trying to make light of the disaster in Japan. I have friends on Honshu. But let's look closely at the cause of this situation. Maybe building a nuclear plant on the coast of a volcanic island known to be prone to devastating seismic events was not the brightest idea. The Japanese archipelago is unstable. Always has been, always will be. I would welcome a nuclear power plant in my neighborhood. I live in a geologically inactive area, smack in the middle of a large plate with no fault lines anywhere near. Build a reactor here. Build a few. Build some in New Mexico, Colorado (eastern only), Nebraska, etc. Build them with modern designs reviewed by experts from multiple fields in multiple governments. Build them quickly...build them for the future, for your children and grandchildren. Nuclear energy is not the destroyer of the planet. It may just be a temporary savior until more advanced forms of clean energy can be harnessed. Bottom line: choose between the remote possibility of a nuclear accident or the surety of deadly fossil fuel pollution killing the whole world.
If the new designs are safe, and these are not - then why are we still using unsafe designs. Why did the GE engineer quit over this design, which is also widely used in the US.
Once the 'new' designs are functioning, then new problems will become apparent.
This is a failed industry that ould be impossible to finance without liability waivers that encourage corner cutting on safety by shifting the risks and clean up costs to ordinary people while greedy few reap huge profits.
Let cut all subsidies to the nuclear industry. And, let's enforce the existing laws and safety regulations against the corrupt habitual violators == including our criminal laws.
I wake after hugging my beautiful pregnant wife, and review last night's news and discussion thread. And, I think about the moms in Japan taping their doors to protect their children from this horror. The millions in Tokyo and even closer to the site who are being exposed today and tomorrow without knowing when it will end. And, the moms in the US and elsewhere who are now, and will be for many years, receiving increasing doses of an unquantified mix of deadly radioactive isotopes.
I witness a failure of the media, with msnbc and abc providing little information other that stories about their own tv shows, and publishing blatantly false assurances from the nuclear lobby that this could be not be more than a few extra days in the sun or chest x-ray.
Look below at the simulations of the spread of radioactive Cesium, a meltdown by-product that signals a soup of other horrors. It is currently traveling around the globe, and the front pages of papers here in Europe announce it is now in Iceland and still moving east. We do not yet know how this will end. If Plutonium tracks this Cesium -- what world have they created?
I think of how my mother died from thyroid cancer, after more than ten years of suffering and the emotional turmoil of glandular disruption. The suffering of one person multiplied by so many who may be affected is difficult to fathom. I cannot think of a greater evil than inflicting this suffering on others, on so many. And, for what purpose -- so that we can leave the lights on all night in the den?
There is not yet an end in sight, and we do not know what the final concentrations of these radioactive particles will be. Our news media and even our governments have shown themselves as unreliable -- first promising that explosions were not possible, then that containment is assured, then saying that detectable amounts would never land on our bodies, food, and land to expose countless future generations -- all obviously false claims. These sources are now widely mocked and disbelieved, and I doubt they even believe their own lies (their failure to investigate or publish basic facts is in itself a lie that shouts its presence).
And, yet even with a wealth of practical energy alternatives -- I still see the voices of support for the short sighted and greedy people who did this and whose inaction and lies continue to make it worse. Such potential suffering inflicted on so many others with such arrogance and callousness -- and, for no urgent purpose.
As I witness the actions of those who did this, and review the words of the nuclear promoters in government, media and even news site chat postings , I can clearly see that --- the mask of evil is worn by ordinary men.
The TEPCO manager who cut corners and falsified safety reports was just doing his job. The GE managers who know of the reactor design flaws and did nothing are just an ordinary people doing what is needed to be promoted at GE. The government officials who failed to protect or warn us were just trying to do what they think will help the economy or please an important donor so they can maintain office. And, the msnbc manager that fails to report on these events is just following the guidelines set by the owners (GE) and doing what is required to keep their job.
But, in their short sightedness -- they have become not just the face of evil but the doers of evil.
And, it is quite clear for all to see that some people, people who know the possible consequences of their actions, have brought about this disaster -- and that those who have rushed to support or provide cover for these same arrogant, greedy and foolish people also share culpability.
And, we can see that these are the people who wear the mask of evil.
I pray that they will consider carefully what is happening -- and what could happen -- and, that they will consider their actions and words.
I pray that they will help fix this disaster rather than support its causes.
I pray that they will reconsider the content of their words of callous support for these evil deeds.
I pray that they will expose the corrupt to the cleansing rays of sunlight and provide accurate information.
I pray that they will work to dismantle this dangerous and evil industry.
I pray that they will start to support the clearly available options that are safe and build a truly strong renewable and clean energy system and economy.
I pray that they will make a choice not to support the senseless arrogance and greed that has directly lead to this disaster.
And, I pray they will remove the mask of evil.
It is my own belief that anyone can become a force for the good. Even those who kill needlessly for greed can change. Even those mass killers who know the possible consequences of their actions. Even those ordinary people who simply did what they were told, or simply did nothing.
I hope those many, many good people who live today will take steps to fix this disaster and prevent this from happening again. I hope they take the actions and speak the words necessary to stop those who shameless continue to wear the mask of evil. To defend themselves, their children and our future generations from the evil doers and their supporters. I hope we bring the evil doers to justice and compensate the victims. And, I know the evil doers will be stopped.
When my daughter grows up, she will read about these events that we now experience. And, I hope she sees the works of the many good people of the world have succeeded. And, that the evil doers are changed their ways, or are removed from power and any position to cause such harm to others.
And, I hope that it is from the vantage point of a healthy and safe world.
First off praying gets you nowhere and no changes, being less naive and doing something brings changes. Next these assurances aren't all blatantly false. This is why groups like greenpeace and other extremist are terrible, they attack emotions versus following scientific data and logic and looking at what is real. Looking at the radioactive material released, it will never make it to America. Also most of the radioactive material was a Iodine isotope with a half life of 8 days. The highest radiation levels measured at Fukushima Daiichi were around 110milirems, which is less than a CT scan. These are facts, just like 2 days in denver exposes you to more radiation than a week at fukushima daiichi.
I agree though that this is an accident should make us think about nuclear power more, think of how it produces less radioactive waste than coal burning plants, less carbon emissions (none), much more efficient, and how each year roughly the same number of people die coal mining as those from every nuclear accident combined. Maybe if the public would follow the 80% of scientist and engineers who support nuclear power than the generation 3 reactors would be being built everywhere, not just one near Atlanta GA. Maybe then more and more research would be funded for gen 4 reactors using thorium.
People though need to demand oversight on this industry not try and close it, especially since no alternative power source can come close to creating enough energy for our society.
I think we should before shutting down any plants. review which ones are the worst ones, then build new facilities with up to date technology...most the ones we have are older than what the Japanese have been running. We can build better.
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This 40 year old plant has coped well with the magnitude of the disaster thrust upon it. In these 40 years, gravity fed plants no longer need pumps, can be built inland, away from faults and operated robotically.
Our kids designed the improvements because they believe we need to get away from coal and oil. They are waiting to be built to replace the less safe plants in operation around the globe (none of which, besides chernobyl, have ever killed a soul). Let's let them try.
By design pebble-bed reactors can never meltdown.
They can burn nuclear waste for fuel.
They are less expensive to build.
And less expensive to operate.
Why is the U.S. not building pebble-bed reactors to replace it's 1950's era design reactors?
.
Once the 'new' designs are functioning, then new problems will become apparent.
This is a failed industry that ould be impossible to finance without liability waivers that encourage corner cutting on safety by shifting the risks and clean up costs to ordinary people while greedy few reap huge profits.
Let cut all subsidies to the nuclear industry. And, let's enforce the existing laws and safety regulations against the corrupt habitual violators == including our criminal laws.
I witness a failure of the media, with msnbc and abc providing little information other that stories about their own tv shows, and publishing blatantly false assurances from the nuclear lobby that this could be not be more than a few extra days in the sun or chest x-ray.
Look below at the simulations of the spread of radioactive Cesium, a meltdown by-product that signals a soup of other horrors. It is currently traveling around the globe, and the front pages of papers here in Europe announce it is now in Iceland and still moving east. We do not yet know how this will end. If Plutonium tracks this Cesium -- what world have they created?
I think of how my mother died from thyroid cancer, after more than ten years of suffering and the emotional turmoil of glandular disruption. The suffering of one person multiplied by so many who may be affected is difficult to fathom. I cannot think of a greater evil than inflicting this suffering on others, on so many. And, for what purpose -- so that we can leave the lights on all night in the den?
There is not yet an end in sight, and we do not know what the final concentrations of these radioactive particles will be. Our news media and even our governments have shown themselves as unreliable -- first promising that explosions were not possible, then that containment is assured, then saying that detectable amounts would never land on our bodies, food, and land to expose countless future generations -- all obviously false claims. These sources are now widely mocked and disbelieved, and I doubt they even believe their own lies (their failure to investigate or publish basic facts is in itself a lie that shouts its presence).
And, yet even with a wealth of practical energy alternatives -- I still see the voices of support for the short sighted and greedy people who did this and whose inaction and lies continue to make it worse. Such potential suffering inflicted on so many others with such arrogance and callousness -- and, for no urgent purpose.
The TEPCO manager who cut corners and falsified safety reports was just doing his job. The GE managers who know of the reactor design flaws and did nothing are just an ordinary people doing what is needed to be promoted at GE. The government officials who failed to protect or warn us were just trying to do what they think will help the economy or please an important donor so they can maintain office. And, the msnbc manager that fails to report on these events is just following the guidelines set by the owners (GE) and doing what is required to keep their job.
But, in their short sightedness -- they have become not just the face of evil but the doers of evil.
And, it is quite clear for all to see that some people, people who know the possible consequences of their actions, have brought about this disaster -- and that those who have rushed to support or provide cover for these same arrogant, greedy and foolish people also share culpability.
And, we can see that these are the people who wear the mask of evil.
I pray that they will consider carefully what is happening -- and what could happen -- and, that they will consider their actions and words.
I pray that they will help fix this disaster rather than support its causes.
I pray that they will reconsider the content of their words of callous support for these evil deeds.
I pray that they will expose the corrupt to the cleansing rays of sunlight and provide accurate information.
I pray that they will work to dismantle this dangerous and evil industry.
I pray that they will start to support the clearly available options that are safe and build a truly strong renewable and clean energy system and economy.
I pray that they will make a choice not to support the senseless arrogance and greed that has directly lead to this disaster.
And, I pray they will remove the mask of evil.
It is my own belief that anyone can become a force for the good. Even those who kill needlessly for greed can change. Even those mass killers who know the possible consequences of their actions. Even those ordinary people who simply did what they were told, or simply did nothing.
I hope those many, many good people who live today will take steps to fix this disaster and prevent this from happening again. I hope they take the actions and speak the words necessary to stop those who shameless continue to wear the mask of evil. To defend themselves, their children and our future generations from the evil doers and their supporters. I hope we bring the evil doers to justice and compensate the victims. And, I know the evil doers will be stopped.
When my daughter grows up, she will read about these events that we now experience. And, I hope she sees the works of the many good people of the world have succeeded. And, that the evil doers are changed their ways, or are removed from power and any position to cause such harm to others.
And, I hope that it is from the vantage point of a healthy and safe world.
I agree though that this is an accident should make us think about nuclear power more, think of how it produces less radioactive waste than coal burning plants, less carbon emissions (none), much more efficient, and how each year roughly the same number of people die coal mining as those from every nuclear accident combined. Maybe if the public would follow the 80% of scientist and engineers who support nuclear power than the generation 3 reactors would be being built everywhere, not just one near Atlanta GA. Maybe then more and more research would be funded for gen 4 reactors using thorium.
People though need to demand oversight on this industry not try and close it, especially since no alternative power source can come close to creating enough energy for our society.
Just a thought.
We can build better.