Improvements in spent fuel pool modeling

During a recent discussion thread on Atomic Insights, a frequent commenter cited a 1997 vintage Nuclear Regulatory Commission document as indicating — in his opinion — that there was always a chance that a spent fuel pool could experience an event that might release dangerous amounts of radioactive material. Besides the fact that the report…

Radiation health effects for medical doctors

Misinformation about radiation health effects does not just affect the nuclear industry and dramatically increase the costs associated with all nuclear energy technologies. It is also having a deleterious effect on the beneficial use of radiation and radioactive materials in medical diagnosis and treatment. Throughout their training programs, medical doctors have been taught to do…

The Godzilla Movie and the Parallel with Fukushima

By Les Corrice I’ve seen every Godzilla movie ever made. I was an adolescent when the first one hit America, and I immediately fell in love with monster movies…a passion I have held to this day. Needless to say, when the latest Godzilla movie hit the big screen a few weeks ago, I was there….

Atomic Show #216 – Just the Fracks, Ma’am

Greg Kozera is the President of the Virginia Oil and Gas Association and the author of a recently-released book titled Just the Fracks, Ma’am: The Truth About Hydrofracking and the Next Great American Boom. I heard about the book from his publicist, News & Experts. Here is an excerpt from the communication I received. Hi…

Boxer allows Markey 16 minutes to grill NRC Commissioners

Yesterday, I posted a video clip showing Barbara Boxer berating the five NRC commissioners for 36 minutes during a hearing that lasted a little less than 2 hours. She used her gavel and power over the committee to dominate the session. The only mention she made of time was when she turned to the time…

Atomic Show #215 – Armond Cohen, CATF, describes need for nuclear

Armond Cohen is the Executive Director of the Clean Air Task Force. We spoke in January 2008 on episode #78 of the Atomic Show. At that time, Armond and his organization did not take a position on nuclear energy. On March 28 of this year, I heard Armond give a talk at the commemoration of…

Barbara Boxer berates NRC commissioners

Senator Barbara Boxer is the chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Yesterday, she provided an example of the way that committee chairmen can abuse their power, ignore rules, and tread in areas where they have no knowledge or understanding. Fortunately, the existing members of the NRC are reasonably strong individuals who politely…

Engaging anonymous antinuclear commenters

Engineer-Poet, a frequent commenter here on Atomic Insights, made a suggestion that sucked me into an interesting, but frustrating discussion on TruthDig. EP and I have been exchanging thoughts long enough that he might have realized that I would get hooked. I think he felt lonely as a pronuclear poster in that particular forum and…

No rational reason to fear radiation – Dr. Wade Allison

Wade Allison on nuclear radiation from The Chemical Engineer on Vimeo. Professor Wade Allison, author of Radiation and Reason, explains to Helen Tunnicliffe, senior reporter for The Chemical Engineer (TCE), why radiation should be understood, not feared.

EPA Carbon pollution emission guidelines – New and preserved nuclear capacity

The EPA has released a 645 page draft document titled Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units for comment. Though several newspaper commentaries about the rule fail to mention the word “nuclear” the EPA draft document includes 76 instances of the word, often in terms of describing it as a…

Low-Dose Total Body Irradiation for Systemic Treatment of Cancer

Dr. Jerry Cuttler provided a copy of an open letter signed by 23 members or affiliate members of SARI – Scientists for Accurate Radiation Information that describes important information about the use of a specific regimen of whole (or half) body low dose radiation as a treatment in the continuing battle against cancer. The organization…

I want to join the Okuma Town Senior Brigade

An Atomic Insights reader (thanks Pete51) sent me a link to an amazing documentary that ran at the beginning of May on NHK, a Japanese network that is available now on some US cable systems. It tells the story of six retirees who now work daily to protect and preserve Okuma Town, which is the…