I have an important request for Atomic Insights readers. Our old friend, Arnie Gundersen, has once again violated the admonition that it is better to remain silent and thought to be a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. In this recent video, he describes how he was commissioned by a group…
By: Donald Jones, P.Eng. There is a widely held belief that commercial nuclear-electric plants are only capable of baseload operation when in fact they can be more flexible than a natural gas-fired generating station. This belief has led the Ontario government to restrict nuclear generation to 50 percent of total demand, in its Long-Term Energy…
An article in The Guardian titled UK’s faith in nuclear power threatens renewables, says German energy expert is full of evidence of the alliance between natural gas salesmen and the advocates of unreliable sources of energy like wind and solar in an effort to discourage the use of nuclear energy for economic, market-based reasons. Jochen…
Dr. Wade Allison, the author of Radiation and Reason, was interviewed following a recent visit to Japan. He has a rational recommendation for the international radiation protection community – instead of setting radiation dose limits based on keeping them as close to zero as possible, why not choose levels that are based on keeping the…
Argentina recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Atucha II Nuclear Power Plant, on the occasion of completing its construction – thirty years after breaking ground in June 1981. The project is a source of immense pride in a country that was once a leader in nuclear energy development in Latin America. According to…
At about 2:22 Eastern Daylight Time a journalist sent me a brief email to inform me that Dr. Jaczko had just told the House Energy and Commerce committee that the fuel pool at Fukushima Daiichi unit 4 was dry. I had just read a status report that indicated that the temperature in that pool as…
Dan Yurman of Idaho Samizdat and Rod Adams chat about nuclear news from India, Idaho, Kentucky, Germany, Scotland, and Vermont Dan Yurman and I had a great time on November 21 talking about a number of different nuclear news items including a large new power plant deal in India for Russian reactors, Dan’s first hand…
Hans and Mary Lou Gougar are two of most interesting nukes that I know. They are currently living and working in South Africa for PBMR Pty Ltd. Their story is fascinating. I got up bright and early this morning (0400) to prepare to record a conversation with two fascinating people. Hans and Mary Lou Gougar…
Alexandra Prokopenko is a Belarusian journalist living, working and studying in Sweden. She spoke with Rod Adams while on holiday in Kiev, Ukraine. This show truly demonstrates the individual power and freedom provided to the world by the Internet. While we talked via Skype video conferencing (without additional charges above our internet connection fees) Alexandra…
Ben Kenney is the host of theWatt Podcast a well established and popular discussion show about all things energy. We talked about power decisions in Canada, CANDU technology, and New Brunswick’s electricity export plans. Ben Kenney is studying for his PhD in chemical engineering, with a focus on solid oxide fuel cells. He expects to…
Brian Paxton is the Managing Director of MBendi Information Services (Pty) Ltd. Brian is a long time energy industry professional currently focusing on providing information about African industry and development, particularly in the energy and mining sectors. Brian Paxton and I talked for about 50 minutes about a wide range of topics related to Africa…
Dr. Jeremy Whitlock was one of the first nukes to recognize the value of web-based communications. He started the Canadian Nuclear FAQ in 1996. He is a second generation nuclear professional. Enjoy. Dr. Jeremy Whitlock is a second generation nuclear profession who lives with his family in Deep River, a town he describes as an…