Nuclear Power: It’s Like Keeping A Dirty Bomb In Your Backyard

Posted: 01 Apr 2011 01:32 PM PDT

In the light of the current disaster still unfolding in Japan, nuclear power has been put on trial worldwide. So far the verdict is not in favor of nuclear energy, and Japan’s tragedy could be a turning point and the final political nail in the coffin of a dangerous technology. The world’s worst atomic disaster since Chernobyl in 1986 is proving hard to contain and has forced world wide debate on the benefits and dangers of nuclear energy. The fact that nuclear power plants should never be built in seismic areas shouldn’t be up for debate any longer. But other parts of the discussion over the viability of nuclear energy remain wide open. On one hand, the Green movement, with Greenpeace in the lead, argues  that nuclear plants can never be made completely safe, despite improvement in design. On the other hand, the nuclear industry claims new plants can be safe as opposed to older plants like the ones which failed in Japan.

The Push For Global Nuclear Regulations
On Thursday, as Japan came under international  pressure from the UN to extend its evacuation zone around the Fukushima nuclear plant, President Sarkozy urged the international community to create a new global nuclear regulation by the end of 2011. President Sarkozy is currently the chairman of the G20, and under this capacity said that France wanted to host a meeting on comprehensive nuclear regulation in May. President Sarkozy was the first world leader to visit Japan since the earthquake and tsunami devastated the island. On Tuesday, France announced it was sending nuclear experts from the French nuclear company Areva to the Fukushima plant at the request of Japanese authorities.

Areva is a state controlled company, and is the world leader in nuclear power technology. Needless to say, President Sarkozy’s trip to Japan was motivated not only by a humanitarian desire to help Japan, but in large part was a salesman’s effort from the French President, on the behalf of Areva, to argue that nuclear power can be safe. Since Japan’s tragedy several international contracts, involving Areva, to build  new nuclear power plants have been put on hold, as nuclear power is rapidly loosing political traction.

Japan’s Tragedy: Helping The  Worldwide Green Movement Become A Major Political Force
The first international political consequences of Japan nuclear crisis happened in Germany last Sunday. Fears over the Japan nuclear nightmare has already delivered a crushing political defeat for Chancellor Merkel’s conservative party as the Greens won a historic victory. The anti-nuclear Greens won a record 24 percent of the vote, more than 12 percent higher than in 2006, and are well positioned to lead a coalition with the Social Democrats for the very first time.

The elections in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg were a referendum on the future of atomic energy, and at least for Germans a decision was made: They do not want nukes. The natural disaster in Japan triggering the man-made disaster at the Fukushima plant was the most decisive issue in the state election. Germans do not want nuclear power, and this political drive is likely to be contagious elsewhere despite President Sarkozy’s efforts to peddle the notion that nuclear power can be safe.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Incident (ANALYSIS)

A video transcoded & edited by yrs. truly, from the EXCELLENT powerpoint presentation originally done by Dr. Matthias Braun, March 29, 2011, under AREVA's umbrella, that (h/t Corporanon, again) came to my attention in a post over at the Energy From Thorium weblog,

From the introduction by Kirk Sorensen. 

Outstanding AREVA Presentation on Fukushima-Daiichi

Ever since the earthquake and tsunami struck the Fukushima-Daiichi reactor site in Japan, many of us nuclear bloggers have struggled to get good and consistent information on the event, and even more so in a form that is easy to depict and convey.

[snip]

Yesterday I was sent this absolutely outstanding presentation done by... engineer Dr. Matthias Braun, and I have found it to be a very easy to follow description of what took place at Fukushima-Daiichi and its implications. I saw no markings on the presentation listing it as “proprietary” ...

Please take a look and study the sequence of events to gain a better understanding of what happened at Fukushima-Daiichi and what it’s consequences might be.

html version here, pdf here.

Be seeing you.

McGuinty faces major challenges: Star editorial

The Ontario Legislature resumes sitting today after a three-month recess. In the coming days, its order paper will be filled with earnest legislation like amendments to the Mining Act (to give First Nations more of a say in prospecting and mining on their traditional lands), a measure to limit toxic emissions by industries, and a ban on the use of hand-held cellphones by motorists.

There will also be an economic statement, likely in November, with some short-term fixes for the ailing provincial economy.

And in the daily question period in the Legislature, Premier Dalton McGuinty's government will come under attack for not doing enough to address the economic slump.

But McGuinty should be able to withstand the barrage, given the weakened state of the opposition, with one lame-duck leader (the NDP's Howard Hampton, who is stepping down next year) and the other on probation (the PC's John Tory, who was given a tepid endorsement by his party earlier this year).

Behind the scenes, however, McGuinty will be wrestling with two enormous decisions that will shape the province's future.

The first is whether to keep the budget balanced or to let it slide into deficit if, as expected, the current economic slump continues and significantly erodes the provincial revenue base.

The second is what kind of reactor to choose to replace the aging nuclear power plants at Pickering and Darlington.

On the deficit, even bank economists have said that, given the circumstances, it ought to be under consideration. But so far McGuinty has stuck doggedly to the goal of a balanced budget.

"Obviously if we anticipate that our revenues are going to slow down, as I've said many times in the past, we're going to have to do in government what families do at home," said McGuinty last week. "You've got to make some adjustments and you've got to make sure you're focusing on your priorities."

Thus, with one eye on the fiscal storm clouds, McGuinty has sought to dampen expectations of government assistance. He told municipalities last month not to expect instant relief from the downloading of provincial services onto their plates. And last week he suggested the timetable for his promise to reduce poverty will have to be stretched out.

So no new spending initiatives. But even existing spending – on schools, hospitals, roads, transit, courts, jails and so on – will come under pressure if the recession deepens and the treasury is further squeezed. It remains to be seen whether McGuinty's commitment to a balanced budget is sustainable in that circumstance.

As for the decision on a new nuclear reactor, in hot competition for the multi-billion-dollar contract are: Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL), the homegrown company whose design is now in place in the province's power plants; French-owned Areva; and U.S.-based Westinghouse.

The McGuinty government would like to give the nod to AECL, which is owned by the federal government. But Ontario wants Ottawa to back up any sale with guarantees to cover cost overruns. So far, those guarantees have not been forthcoming, as Stephen Harper's government has wrestled with its own decision whether to keep AECL or sell it.

Both these decisions are due to be made next spring (the deficit in the annual provincial budget, the reactor likely in a separate announcement). The behind-the-scenes struggles that precede the decisions will be more ferocious – and hugely more significant – than the daily battles on the floor of the Legislature between the government and the opposition parties.

Comments

Major Challenge is getting rid of McGuinty

At what point will Ontarions ever get choices for good government? The current system is only about getting votes and not doing anything that benefits us. Mr. McGuinty was a reckless promiser in opposition and his party had even tried to get rid of him. He has been elected by playing the game (twice now) with no real strategic plan. You got wonder at a guy who now wants to use a web based petition when many such as tax payers association, support for parents of autistic children and even the small business association have used similar tactics with him with absolutely zero positive results. Can you say PR?

Posted by Ignorance is Bliss

don't bite the hand...

McGuinty never thought about how he's going to pay for all his massive increases in civil servants and their salaries. A strong public sector always requires a strong private sector. Someone has to pay the bills.

Posted by scamper

Grow up and govern

Have you received your property assessment yet? Lets see some real leadership and halt this annual insanity courtesy of MPAC. Mr. McGuinty road the coattails of fear in the '07 election on the religious schooling issue. It was a non starter. Mr. Tory could have OVERNIGHT turned this entire platform 180 degrees by promising a total revamp of this insane, bully pulpit tax grab. He didn't. Where were the NDP and Howard Hampton? If they raised this issue , they allowed it to be muted. The middle class is being fleeced and all the while wooed with empty promises in this campaign. WAKE UP

Posted by Steve Canyon

Really?

Sure, lets bring more competition to the provision of hydro power. Remember when Mr. Eaves let the rates for electricity float after full deregulation, and everyone hand to pay market price? The government had to step in again to prevent the public outcry from becoming riots in the streets. If we are already so incensed by the collusion of the oil conglomerates, how will it be when the electricity generators and distributors do the same thing? But by all means, Mr. Jones, lets have more competition.

Posted by sobersecondthought

Econimic denials and foolishness

McGullible was too busy boasting of irrelevant issues like banning smoking and pitbulls - the real easy stuff - how proactive. Mr Flaherty urged McG to start cutting taxes across the board, including the health tax. Instead, McG sulked and felt he was victimised - now, Ontario is in a recession and all he can do is give the doctors a big raise and shuffle the cabinet - liberals are all alike - why face reality when you can blame your foolhardyness on someone else.

Posted by freebel

Cost Over Runs

Let's end the old boys club once and for all. Ontario is shy on competition: there's very very little in hydro and very very very very little in education. This results in complacency, lack of accountability, mediocrity, and inefficiency. As Bob Rae said, " We can do better" Ontario would thrive with an injection of competition into it's highly protected socialized public work force.

Posted by Templeton Jones


No Short Term Fixes

The crisis in manufacturing has been brewing for a long time. Expect to see many more small companies in Ontario close. In the globalized economy, consolidation is a critical trend. Mass is king. Our cpompanies are typically one tenth the size of American companies. Guess who closes first when the market contracts?

Posted by Herschell Hollywood