AW: [ RadSafe ] RE: Turn off nuclear power, environmentalistsurge

Tue Apr 17 00:38:56 CDT 2007

Jim et al.

     Check out http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4212848.html and 

  http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/home_improvement/4215199.html

  and http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=revisions.cfls_spec

     Interestingly enough the manufacturer of the Compact Fluorescent (CF) light bulbs that I purchased, Feit Electric, see http://www.feit.com/main.html, isn't listed on the Popular Mechanics survey.  To be fair I think most of my problems I experienced were due to utilizing some of the bulbs in a steamy bathroom and using others in a vibrating ceiling fan.  However, to give CF's a fair chance the next batch of CF bulbs I purchase will be from one of the manufactures off of the Popular Mechanics list.  We have some CF bulbs in a walk-in cold room at work and they have held up remarkable well.

     So is this discussion "on subject"?  I think that it is because it deals with the issue of energy usage.  Humanities future is dependent on continued development of means to support an ever growing population on a planet with finite resources.  These finite resources should be jealously guarded to yield the greatest usage possible with an eye toward eventually developing a completely sustainable energy situation.  For the foreseeable near term future we do not as yet have a sustainable energy solution on our horizon.  So how will we meet our energy needs?  Clearly all of the various potential components for a solution need to be on the table for discussion purposes.  Conservation should be an integral part of any future solution!  Given all of the issues and complexities I don't think any of us reasonable think that we could get to a near term solution solely through Nuclear Power!  Even if it were possible for developed nations to rapidly build dozens upon dozens of
 reactors what about the energy needs of developing and third world countries?

     Clearly many technologies, i.e. conservation, solar power, wind power, are currently very expensive.  If these technologies are ever to be affordable to the poorer countries of the world it will only be because the wealthy countries lead the way towards affordability by purchasing enough units to drive down the manufacturing costs.  This has been accomplished with a myriad of consumer products, i.e., clothing, motor bikes, automobiles, electronics, computers, etc., so this model for pushing new technologies shouldn't come at too steep of a cost, rather it appears to be the natural progression of free competition. 

  -----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of Jim Hardeman
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 12:57 PM
To: Gary Damschen; radsafe at radlab.nl; Jack N Earley; ROY HERREN
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] RE: Turn off nuclear power,
environmentalistsurge

Roy et al. --

How about getting somebody to make LED lightbulbs -- which use about
1/100th the energy as an incandescent bulb with the same light output --
and which also don't generate (waste) heat, which has to be removed by
HVAC equipment? I've seen several manufactuers come out with them in
"small" sizes (such as nightlight bulbs or perhaps replacements for
halogen spots -- only not as bright). I use CF light bulbs for limited
applications (such as porch light, where the bulb burns 24/7), but the
ones I can obtain locally can't be dimmed, and for me that limits their
usability. I'd LOVE it if I could replace every bulb in my home
(affordably) with an LED light bulb -- it would save on lighting and A/C
expenditures.

Jim Hardeman
Jim_Hardeman at dnr.state.ga.us 

>>> ROY HERREN 4/16/2007 13:48 >>>
I am struck by the articles line, "That means an average yield of
about 100 megawatts, enough to supply about a quarter of the Tri-Cities'
power needs". Perhaps those who are pushing for conservation aren't
completely out of line after all... I for one am not too happy with
Compact Fluorescent (CF) light bulbs, they don't last nearly as long as
they are supposed to last and they are too expensive. However, perhaps
through the use of emerging technologies we can curb our energy usage. 
A good example is the use of the newer flat panel monitors, LCD?,
instead of Cathode Ray Tubes. The new monitors use about a quarter of
the energy of the old monitors and no doubt by converting to the new
monitors it helps to lower the cooling needs for large office buildings.
We need to use our limited resources as wisely as possible. This means
that we need "real" leadership to get people to voluntarily conserve
energy. 

Roy 

"Earley, Jack N" wrote: 
Here's an article from 2001 you should enjoy. They had to cut back
the
size to avoid endangering ground squirrels.

http://www.tri ( http://www.tri/
)-cityherald.com/news/2001/0724/story2.html

Jack Earley
Health Physicist
509.372.9532

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Roy Herren

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