17 Comments

  1. Como and Greenpeace; Caterers of Fear instead of Fact.

    I’d really like to see in everyman’s black and white the EXACT reason anti-nuclear actitivists and governors have to shut down and scrap these plants as was done at the virtually completed Shoreham here on Long Island? It boils down to plain Fear (of what Might happen), doesn’t it? Can you use Fear as a pretext to shut down a longtime facility without a worker/public casualty record? Can you use Fear to raise electric rates, increase Co and throw people out of jobs? On what historical mega-death nuclear incident pretext does the Gov’ and anti-nuclear have outside catering to Fear? Are they using Fukushima as an totallu incongruous and unrelated excuse when at date it hasn’t killed anyone or caused physical damage outside the plant’s gates? Are anti-nuclear activists making nuclear a special “moral” case that gives reams of other more “mundane” toxins and emissions with long known greater pernicious effects a pass? Really, Como and Greenpeace, upon what do you rest your case to shut down nuke plants besides gullible phamtom Fear? I’d like to see Indian Point go down fighting at least by slinging those questions!

    James Greenidge

  2. Who wants Indian Point to close? Democrat Andy Cuomo, that’s who. Are you still proud to be liberal like Cuomo? I’d be ashamed.

    1. Is there a broken record here?

      Everything is not strictly a black/white, Republican/Democrat partisan issue.

      Please bring something different in your next comment here, Ioannes.

      1. Joel, Ioannes is a self proclaimed Christian apologist thus to him everything IS black and white.

      2. Sadly, in regards to Ioannes, he seems to believe that Christianity lines up directly with a specific political party.

        In today’s America, it seems to me that far too many issues end up getting politicized and sides get taken solely for the sake of supporting a particular party or due to the perceived strategic effects that taking that side will have on the next election rather than actually basing a position on an actual analysis of that particular issue. I feel like this is a huge (if not the primary) reason for the US Government’s sometimes apparent ineffectiveness.

        For 2 particular examples of this, see the whole Jaczko/Reid Yucca Mountain saga and now this present backup plan for the impending 8/2 debt crisis devised by Mitch McConnell of giving President Obama the authority to raise the debt ceiling essentially for the purpose of “washing the Republicans hands” of that decision so as to hopefully not hurt their chances in the 2012 election if that is shown to be a bad decision.

        Rod has stated on several occasions that he doesn’t consider himself to be part of a particular party. I feel that Rod does a good job of evaluating issues for their individual merits, and I feel that America’s government could be much more effective if more politicians felt empowered to do the same.

        Perhaps a legitimate 3rd party emergence could allow some of that type of empowerment?

  3. The EIA Natural Gas Weekly Report http://www.eia.gov/oog/info/ngw/ngupdate.asp indicates quite consistently the price fluctuates according to electrical power demand. Just as oil prices increase in winter (home heating oil) and summer (driving), now natural gas can increase in the winter (heating) and summer (electrical power generation for air conditioning). A great thing for natural gas producers. At least with natural gas, the amount stored is a much larger percent of monthly usage than oil, but supply and demand still rule….

  4. Rod – I know you have a challenging day job, and get up early to research and write this excellent blog. But I want to challenge you to coalesce the commentaries you have put together over the years on this topic into a book.

    I will deign to offer a title – “Smoking Gun – the unholy marriage of fossil fuels and green power politics”.

    A published book is the entry ticket that qualifies you as an expert in the eyes of the mainstream media (unless you are on their shortlist as an anti with a penchant for alarmist soundbites, then no qualifications are necessary).

    The content of today’s blog needs a wider platform for dissemination to the general public, many of whom will immediately grasp that it makes perfect sense. You are in an ideal position to speak for small modular reactors and atomic energy in general, but first must “qualify” in the eyes of the media decision makers before they grant access to their bully pulpit.

    When the book comes out, I would like to be at the first signing party in NY. To guarantee media coverage, hold it in front of Indian Point Energy Center. I know Wheeler will be there, Maybe Gwyneth and Bill Tucker will show up too – just don’t expect Andy C!

      1. I think that excellent blogs could translate very well to books.

        I had a thought recently that my not-yet-implemented nuclear blog idea could possibly translate into a nice book.

      2. I suggest I don’t just stick to nuclear though, and begin the book with the story of how Big Oil bankrolled the Sierra Club’s early campaigns against hydroelectric dams.

    1. I’d suggest an alternative title:

      “Smoking Gun – How Fossil Fuel Money Subverted Environmentalism”

  5. There any way to invite a pro-nuclear politician to drop by this blog for a look-see? Time is running out fast.

    James Greenidge

    1. For anyone who selflessly wants to help the pro-nuclear cause I recommend sending e-mails, commenting on news-stories, calling talk radio shows. It is having an effect, and most of the time, the other people there are terribly misinformed and oppose nuclear only because they’ve been brainwashed by Greenpeace et al.

    2. Sending a link to this site’s address could work if the politician were willing to take a look.

  6. Some quick calculations about what it would (at minimum) take to replace Indian Point with solar:

    Spain’s Gemasolar has a nameplate capacity of ~20MW, molten salt storage to supply electricity 24h (at least on sunny days), an expected avrage annual capacity factor of 60%, and use 1,85 km^2 of land.

    Indian Point is 2GW, 90% capacity factor and use about 500*750m or 0,375km^2 of land.

    The land use for Indian Point is coarsely estimated with Google Earth. I’m unsue about how much of the nearby industrial area belongs to the power plant.

    To get same average power you would need (2000*0,9)/(20*0,6) = 150 Gemasolar, at ~5 times the area for each or 750 times the total area. This is ~280km^2, or four and two thirds Manhattan.

    That’s not accounting for upstae NY probably being less sunny than Andalucia, and for alternatives on longer period of cloudy days.

    1. Speedy – Please don’t waste your breath.

      If Indian Point is closed down, I’m sure that New York will simply do what SMUD did with Rancho Seco (video). They’ll throw up a few solar panels, claim that solar has “replaced” nuclear, and call it a day. Meanwhile, burning natural gas will make up the difference.

      My only question is the following: Is the lobotomy a mandatory requirement for moving to the Sacramento area (it would go a long way to explain the California State Legislature) or is it just a “good idea” so that you can get along with your neighbors? 😉

      1. No worries, I live on the other side of the atlantic, so it’s not my problem. At least not in the first order, but CO2 emissions are eventually everyone’s problem.

        I did the calculation just out of curiousity, and I though I might as well share it.

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