Open letter to advocates of Generation IV reactors (IFR, LFTR, NGNP, PBHTR)

I participate in a number of email lists and forums populated by people who have an incredible optimism for a wide variety of nuclear fission power systems including sodium cooled Integral Fast Reactors, molten salt based Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors, helium cooled Next Generation Nuclear Plants, the molten salt cooled Pebble Bed High Temperature Reactor…

Reflections on the 69th anniversary of anthropogenic sustained nuclear fission

By: Cal Abel (submitted for publication on December 2, 2011, but slightly delayed by an inept editor.) Today marks the 69th anniversary of CP-1 criticality and 54th anniversary of Shippingport criticality. Perhaps with too much time to think I wrote some thoughts and observations about my brief experience with nuclear power. It began in 1996…

Nuclear advocacy opportunity in Vermont – November 30

This is a Public Service Announcement. November 30 Film and Panel at the Gund Institute The Energy Education Project of the Ethan Allen Institute has two members of our Board of Advisors on the panel at an event sponsored by the Gund Institute at University of Vermont (UVM). The film and panel start at 4…

Independence Day Letter to President Obama – Re: Nuclear Energy Summit

A group of distinguished and dedicated energy experts has composed and signed a letter to President Obama in support of a recent call by a group of eleven US Senators to convene a Nuclear Energy Summit. Here is the full text of the July 4, 2010 letter along with the initial list of signatories. (Note:…

Better Way – Atomic Song – by Geoff Smith

Several of you have asked me for a copy of the little song I asked Geoff Smith to create for me as a new way of introducing people to the idea of an atomic alternative to fossil fuels. Here it is. Feel free to share it widely and let people know where to find it….

The Atomic Show #083 – Atomic Advocacy with John Wheeler and Lisa Stiles

John Wheeler of This Week In Nuclear and Lisa Stiles, a contributing blogger at NEI Nuclear Notes joined in a discussion focused on atomic advocacy. John Wheeler, Lisa Stiles and I talked about our passion for nuclear technologies. We also talked about job opportunities in the nuclear business, the need for large infrastructure investments in…

Atomic Show 81 – More than 100 years of nuclear experience on a phone call

On Sunday, February 10, I got together with four of my favorite nuclear industry correspondents for a chat about the current state of affairs in the electric power industry. You can listen to the show at The Atomic Show #081 – Five friendly atomic geeks. The guests on the show included: John Wheeler – host…