We can solve 10 issues with one simple solution

[AshleyBeckem]

America needs more nuclear power plants. What good is an electric car when the electricity is generated by Coal, Gas, or Oil? Seems to be counter productive...

'Greener' energy! Recycle the spent nuclear product. Not saying lets cut out wind or solar but I find it funny that Germany shut down their nuclear power plants to go great (which didn't work) so they are buying energy from Chernobyl, hum....interesting

One of the biggest solutions Nuclear power will give America...wait for it... we get out of the middle east and let them duke take care of themselves.

 

[Que]

I was interested in a series on netflix on energy solutions...they friggen left nuclear off the table. They were talking about covering 50 square miles of desert to power Las Vegas as if that was in some way reasonable....and Las Vegas is adjacent to the desert. What about other locations that get no-where near that much sunlight?

Idiots.

Have you seen "Pandora's promise?"

But, but...what about WASTE??

-Breeder Reactors.

But, but...what about power failures?

-Breeder Reactors

But, but...what about earthquakes???

-Breader Reactors.

But, But...Chernobyl!!!

NOT a Breeder Reactor.

PEOPLE will DIE!!!

-Less people will die than with any other form or energy.

Chernobyl!!!

Less than 50 people.

Yeah but cancer!!!

Nope.

Three mile island!!!

No one died.

 

[Dream59]

America needs more nuclear power plants. What good is an electric car when the electricity is generated by Coal, Gas, or Oil? Seems to be counter productive...

'Greener' energy! Recycle the spent nuclear product. Not saying lets cut out wind or solar but I find it funny that Germany shut down their nuclear power plants to go great (which didn't work) so they are buying energy from Chernobyl, hum....interesting

One of the biggest solutions Nuclear power will give America...wait for it... we get out of the middle east and let them duke take care of themselves.

Wind will never be a viable option. It is too costly for the small amount it produces. I whole heartedly agree with the rest of your points.

 

[bronzeage]

America needs more nuclear power plants. What good is an electric car when the electricity is generated by Coal, Gas, or Oil? Seems to be counter productive...

'Greener' energy! Recycle the spent nuclear product. Not saying lets cut out wind or solar but I find it funny that Germany shut down their nuclear power plants to go great (which didn't work) so they are buying energy from Chernobyl, hum....interesting

One of the biggest solutions Nuclear power will give America...wait for it... we get out of the middle east and let them duke take care of themselves.

Okay, before we can take you seriously on nuclear physics, we need to see either your tits, or your girlfriend's tits.

 

[Que]

Wind will never be a viable option. It is too costly for the small amount it produces. I whole heartedly agree with the rest of your points.

Agreed, even massively expensive to build and maintain tidal projects are more cost effective.

Without massive tax subsidies wind wouldn't exist now. Solar subsidies come and go.

"Greenies" who eschew nuclear in all locations at all times are not green.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Of course wind is viable.

I don't think many people are really against nuclear (as horrible as it is long term) but part of it's problem in the US is that we for whatever dumb ass reason believe in states rights instead of just telling Nevada ( I believe that's where the primary mine they want to use to dump this shit in is in, I know it's a south western no where state) to suck it the fuck up and do their fucking job as part of the US.) but at least in the short term and possibly in the long term you'd have to be insane not to accept that nuclear is part of the game plan.

 

[about_average]

One of the biggest solutions Nuclear power will give America...wait for it... we get out of the middle east and let them duke take care of themselves.

And instead buy uranium from:
Russia
Kazakhstan
Namibia
Niger
Brazil
China
Malawi
Ukraine
South Africa
Australia
Canada

Only about 17% of ts is domestic. 60% comes from other than North America.

Only about 8% of imported oil comes from the Persian gulf region other than Saudi Arabia. total imports from the Persian Gulf region is 22%.

Personally I'd rather see the money spent on fusion development.

 

[Que]

And instead buy uranium from:
Russia
Kazakhstan
Namibia
Niger
Brazil
China
Malawi
Ukraine
South Africa
Australia
Canada

Only about 17% of ts is domestic. 60% comes from other than North America.

Only about 8% of imported oil comes from the Persian gulf region other than Saudi Arabia. total imports from the Persian Gulf region is 22%.

Personally I'd rather see the money spent on fusion development.

We already have plenty of Uranium and spent fuel to be re-used for the foreseeable future.

I am assuming you mean cold fusion since we can already fuse atoms. I would rather we avoid the use of energy entirely by mass-manufacture of perpetual motion machines.

 

[Que]

Of course wind is viable.

I don't think many people are really against nuclear (as horrible as it is long term) but part of it's problem in the US is that we for whatever dumb ass reason believe in states rights instead of just telling Nevada ( I believe that's where the primary mine they want to use to dump this shit in is in, I know it's a south western no where state) to suck it the fuck up and do their fucking job as part of the US.) but at least in the short term and possibly in the long term you'd have to be insane not to accept that nuclear is part of the game plan.

Nevada only wanted the millions (billions) to 'research' digging a tunnel at Yucca Small Dirt Mound. They didn't actually want it to work.

Rolling your eyes doesn't make wind viable for anyone other than the companies that put them up and the Chinese that manufacture them and maybe the politicians that get campaign contributions to keep the scheme running.

I am guessing you find ethanol viable too? Most environmentalists finally listened to reason after actual real-world math matched the math that was explained before they started that welfare-for-farmers tax-on-beef-and-cornflakes non-energy program.

 

[AshleyBeckem]

And instead buy uranium from:
Russia
Kazakhstan
Namibia
Niger
Brazil
China
Malawi
Ukraine
South Africa
Australia
Canada

Only about 17% of ts is domestic. 60% comes from other than North America.

Only about 8% of imported oil comes from the Persian gulf region other than Saudi Arabia. total imports from the Persian Gulf region is 22%.

Personally I'd rather see the money spent on fusion development.

Well, now I have to do some googling on Fusion. I do remember when Val Kilmer was hot in The Saint...but though the technology fizzled?

 

[AshleyBeckem]

Of course wind is viable.

I don't think many people are really against nuclear (as horrible as it is long term) but part of it's problem in the US is that we for whatever dumb ass reason believe in states rights instead of just telling Nevada ( I believe that's where the primary mine they want to use to dump this shit in is in, I know it's a south western no where state) to suck it the fuck up and do their fucking job as part of the US.) but at least in the short term and possibly in the long term you'd have to be insane not to accept that nuclear is part of the game plan.

Wind and Solar are great options and take advantage of them when we can. Damns are great too but they do have an impact on the environment. not that humans care....

With the new nuclear technology over 90% of the material is recyclable, and think it might be as high as 96%

 

[Skiddles2014]

I was interested in a series on netflix on energy solutions...they friggen left nuclear off the table. They were talking about covering 50 square miles of desert to power Las Vegas as if that was in some way reasonable....and Las Vegas is adjacent to the desert. What about other locations that get no-where near that much sunlight?

Idiots.

Have you seen "Pandora's promise?"

But, but...what about WASTE??

-Breeder Reactors.

But, but...what about power failures?

-Breeder Reactors

But, but...what about earthquakes???

-Breader Reactors.

But, But...Chernobyl!!!

NOT a Breeder Reactor.

PEOPLE will DIE!!!

-Less people will die than with any other form or energy.

Chernobyl!!!

Less than 50 people.

Yeah but cancer!!!

Nope.

Three mile island!!!

No one died.

The sun shines other places too, FYI.

It just doesn't get as hot.

Las Vegas' solution isn't everyone's solution, dipshit.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Nevada only wanted the millions (billions) to 'research' digging a tunnel at Yucca Small Dirt Mound. They didn't actually want it to work.

Rolling your eyes doesn't make wind viable for anyone other than the companies that put them up and the Chinese that manufacture them and maybe the politicians that get campaign contributions to keep the scheme running.

I am guessing you find ethanol viable too? Most environmentalists finally listened to reason after actual real-world math matched the math that was explained before they started that welfare-for-farmers tax-on-beef-and-cornflakes non-energy program.

Like I said. Fuck em. Let Congress and the Federal government figure out a spot and which ever state has the most viable spot gets told what to do and if they don't like it who the fuck cares.

You pretending wind and solar aren't viable doesn't change things either. Scheme. Oh right. . .not a believer in AGW or science. Creationist too I can assume? Cus if you're nto you're missing out on some of the same ignorance.

Also you speak about places with that much sunshine, most places have sunshine fairly regularly. Not every where mind you but most places.

Ethanol is just a pain in the ass. Though in that case "viable" and good idea are kinda separate. I'm only so concerned (read not at all) about farmers bitching. They shouldn't have jobs anymore and only still exist because we can't find an inteligent way to nationalize quite a few of them.

 

[Que]

The sun shines other places too, FYI.

It just doesn't get as hot.

Las Vegas' solution isn't everyone's solution, dipshit.

The quantity of photons per unit time striking any particular spot is something one can measure. "Heat" isn't necessary for photovoltaic production of energy.

Even on a sunny day in Michigan, they do not have as much energy available to them. Latitude makes a difference. FYI

The solution suggested for Las Vegas of covering to repeat fifty square miles is in a location where conditions for solar is as ideal as it is ever going to get.

You need MORE vacant land for other locales.

 

[cowslinger64]

Nevada only wanted the millions (billions) to 'research' digging a tunnel at Yucca Small Dirt Mound. They didn't actually want it to work.

Rolling your eyes doesn't make wind viable for anyone other than the companies that put them up and the Chinese that manufacture them and maybe the politicians that get campaign contributions to keep the scheme running.

I am guessing you find ethanol viable too? Most environmentalists finally listened to reason after actual real-world math matched the math that was explained before they started that welfare-for-farmers tax-on-beef-and-cornflakes non-energy program.

Need to put up a wind turbine in front of your mouth, I bet it'd be the renewable energy source to replace oil.

 

[Que]

Well, now I have to do some googling on Fusion. I do remember when Val Kilmer was hot in The Saint...but though the technology fizzled?

It is and as far as we know always was a pipe dream.

I would LOVE to be wrong about that. It would solve a host of problems. Plus you end up with Helium as your waste product which makes for fun balloons and is hilarious if inhaled.

Need to put up a wind turbine in front of your mouth, I bet it'd be the renewable energy source to replace oil.

I am picturing you saying that after inhaling helium, so it was hilarious.

 

[Sean Renaud]

The quantity of photons per unit time striking any particular spot is something one can measure. "Heat" isn't necessary for photovoltaic production of energy.

Even on a sunny day in Michigan, they do not have as much energy available to them. Latitude makes a difference. FYI

The solution suggested for Las Vegas of covering to repeat fifty square miles is in a location where conditions for solar is as ideal as it is ever going to get.

You need MORE vacant land for other locales.

Correct. But electricity travels fairly readily, we still get huge amounts of energy at those lattitudes (our problems are largely in successfully storing the energy but also in gathering it successfully) and heat=energy. Not always the most efficient way to go about it but nothing that ought be ignored.

Las Vegas has absurd energy needs. If they can make it work there it can work most places.

It is and as far as we know always was a pipe dream.

I would LOVE to be wrong about that. It would solve a host of problems. Plus you end up with Helium as your waste product which makes for fun balloons and is hilarious if inhaled.



I am picturing you saying that after inhaling helium, so it was hilarious.

Yeah it does seem to be a pipe dream doomed to failure. But as you bring up those Breeder Reactors are real fucking nice.

 

[cowslinger64]

It is and as far as we know always was a pipe dream.

I would LOVE to be wrong about that. It would solve a host of problems. Plus you end up with Helium as your waste product which makes for fun balloons and is hilarious if inhaled.



I am picturing you saying that after inhaling helium, so it was hilarious.

You probably just glimpsed your bulbous head in the mirror....that would make anyone laugh.


Of course yours was "laughing just to keep from crying"

 

[Que]

Correct. But electricity travels fairly readily, we still get huge amounts of energy at those lattitudes (our problems are largely in successfully storing the energy but also in gathering it successfully) and heat=energy. Not always the most efficient way to go about it but nothing that ought be ignored.

Las Vegas has absurd energy needs. If they can make it work there it can work most places.



Yeah it does seem to be a pipe dream doomed to failure. But as you bring up those Breeder Reactors are real fucking nice.

I am pretty sure you are sincere here about breeder reactors? (Since you have a technical background.) Shutting down the research lab in Idaho was not the best decision.

I was surprised that the amount of nuclear material (even the low grade stuff) is a relatively small pile.

The really hot stuff is, what? a few truckloads worth? and it is PERFECT for re-use in breeder reactors so you don't have to go to the trouble of enriching Uranium. They can use decommissioned nuclear devices for fuel as well.

The best part is that a breeder reactor has to have energy fed into the reaction so if everything fails, or the temperature control systems fail they just ease themselves down to a non-reactive state.

Instead of redundant back-ups to back-ups, the process is fail-safe in the sense when it fails it is more safe.

 

[Que]

You probably just glimpsed your bulbous head in the mirror....that would make anyone laugh.


Of course yours was "laughing just to keep from crying"

Nope not funny...take another hit of helium and try again.

 

[cowslinger64]

Nope not funny...take another hit of helium and try again.

You don't know anything about being funny...the next time you are, will be the first time. "Like a virgin"..

 

[Que]

You don't know anything about being funny...the next time you are, will be the first time. "Like a virgin"..

Perhaps not, but I do know it when I 'hear' it...and you weren't. Try again.

 

[policywank]

Nukes and Hydro are far and away the two largest sources of non greenhouse gas producing energy sources. They create other trade-offs with varying degrees of concern, but none are remotely close to the catastrophe predicted by global warming.

Meanwhile the truly green alternatives are a long way away. Some really cool things are happening and will continue to happen. However, the best estimates put it at decades to "green" our current consumption and adding all electric powered transportation would double the generation and transmission requirements.

If one believes the world is truly in imminent peril one would focus on immediate and practical response with a long-term plan to mitigate risk and work towards the ideal in steps. Even optimistic forecasts of when we hit energy utopia are more or less the life cycle of a nuclear facility (or a gas facility which though imperfect is massively more efficient than coal). We can invest there, harvest hydro as optimally as possible and stave off oblivion for a realistic period of time while working intently on the better model.

Why would you drive towards the cliff intent on ignoring all but the most pure options.......hoping for a bridge to be built before you get to the cliff? Indeed if you concede anything, progress toward the ideal may slow. But if the oblivion you fear is there, by refusing the less perfect but life saving solution are you not risking all mankind for ideology? Like I said truly renewable technology is making great strides but the modest ardent optimist would not rely on it solely. Grown-ups solve problems with pragmatism and the answer is actually in front of us.

I for one think we have a problem but it is overblown. We are dealing with extremely complex weather models that turn on a series of key inputs. I accept that the people providing those inputs are doing so diligently and with more knowledge than I have. However, until we can forecast the weather next Feb. 11 at 2:01 pm there is a degree of data interpretation employed to determine those key inputs. These are statistical models where they run a million scenarios and come up with an expected outcome, but its not 100% this will happen. Its conceptually 10% that it will get colder, 10% it will stay the same, 10% it will get a bit warmer, and so on (I made those numbers up for illustration). To vastly oversimplify the 50% point is where they forecast our future........accurate to within 50% either way. So statistically speaking we are really sure that it is somewhere between a super bad issue or nothing at all with an expectation that it is somewhere in between. And the people making the inputs are part of largely closed group - diligent, focussed, intent on being accurate but nonetheless a narrow group with its own insular qualities under enormous pressure.

We have a problem. It may not be as bad as we think or maybe worse, but we would be stupid to gamble either way. Even if it isn't global warming, we are pretty sure pollution is bad. We should use the tools we have while we keep the R&D department humming.

 

[JustaSCOUNDREL]

Wind and Solar are great options and take advantage of them when we can. Damns are great too but they do have an impact on the environment. not that humans care....

With the new nuclear technology over 90% of the material is recyclable, and think it might be as high as 96%

You're correct, the French generate 75% of their electricity from nuclear, they have 58 nuclear plants or reactors. They recycle their spent fuel and reuse it generating 17% of their electricity from the recycled fuel. They also export nuclear generated electricity and made 3 billion euros from those exports. They have to dispose of only 4% of their nuclear waste.

Here in the U.S. we let 100% of out used fuel decay and eventually dispose of it all. By law we are not allowed to recycle our spent fuel.

Generation of electricity from a nuclear reactor is relatively safe, inexpensive and practically inexhaustible if done the way the French do it.

You have no idea how much it pains me to say anything nice about the French, but in this case they have their shit together and we should take lessons from them.

Here's a link to more than you wanted to know about the French nuclear program.

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-A-F/France/


I read an article a few years ago stating if we built 10 1.25 GWe (GigaWatt electricity) in every state we would provide every single watt of electricity we needed in the U.S. and would be a net exporter of electricity to both Mexico and Canada.

Maybe we need to bring a French nuclear engineering company in to show us how to do it right. Damn, I can't believe I said that. We also need to change the law about recycling spent nuclear fuel.

 

[Sean Renaud]

I am pretty sure you are sincere here about breeder reactors? (Since you have a technical background.) Shutting down the research lab in Idaho was not the best decision.

I was surprised that the amount of nuclear material (even the low grade stuff) is a relatively small pile.

The really hot stuff is, what? a few truckloads worth? and it is PERFECT for re-use in breeder reactors so you don't have to go to the trouble of enriching Uranium. They can use decommissioned nuclear devices for fuel as well.

The best part is that a breeder reactor has to have energy fed into the reaction so if everything fails, or the temperature control systems fail they just ease themselves down to a non-reactive state.

Instead of redundant back-ups to back-ups, the process is fail-safe in the sense when it fails it is more safe.

I have a technical background? I do lots and lots of reading I'd be lying if I claimed to have an expecially firm grasp of nuclear physics. But everything I've read on the subject looks extremely promising and there is rarely a time when shutting down research is a good idea unless you're certain you've hit a dead end.

Yep, they shut down relatively safely, I'm not entirely clear on how hard it is to get one started again if/when the wind down but obviously especially in places like Japan where they don't have a choice nor do they have particularly stable land it's a perfect choice. The US could fairly safely build normal reactors in everywhere not called California and be relatively safe (and for all our talk California doesn't suffer a major earthquake every year or even every decade.) and aside from what happens if you fuck up I've never seen a compelling reason why we can't ship the shit to Mars and if someone finds it oh fucking well. Until we master space travel to a better degree(and even then) I'm still big on Solar, wind and tidal and find it shameful we are so loathe to invest in it.