RE: background vs man-made emissions

["Somerville, Mark" <MOS3@pge.com>]

David,
Good posting.
Some days or weeks ago, I think to this list, someone posted a solar panel
area calculation.  Since the incident solar energy has a maximum value, the
area can be reasonably approximated.  It turns out that just south facing
roof area isn't enough.  We would need to cover vast stretches of land with
panels.

That's not to say we shouldn't pursue other options.  We need to break our
foreign oil Jones and move towards renewables and some semblance of self
sufficiency.  But, we need to consider all things in the mix, including
nuclear.

You are right, we need a national energy policy.  We need it bad.  But we
also need to get away from consensus building episodes that are doomed to
failure.  For example, you say "what the heck" about some birds being sliced
and diced in the wind turbines.  Sorry, I'm not trying to attribute a flip
remark to you, but there are very vocal activists groups here in California
that consider one bird death unacceptable.  Especially if the bird is on the
threatened or endangered list.  Further, back to solar, the panels would
cover large areas.  Again in California, it would be very difficult to find
a large area that didn't have endangered lizards, frogs, birds, or plant
species.  Ward valley, the engineered disposal facility for low level
radioactive waste is in a desolate, arid part of the California desert.  It
is now considered sacred land and the desert tortoise is considered harmed.
The engineered disposal facility would take up a small fraction of the land
area required to replace a 1000 MW(electric) nuclear plant.

And, by the way, the seals at Seabrook were just found there not killed
there.  Power plants must report any marine animal death discovered on their
property.  They report without regard to cause of death.  During the past
migration cycle, some 50 gray whales have died off the pacific coast and
washed ashore.  These were not near nuclear plants.  Had they been
discovered in "plant" waters, they would have been reported.  The news would
probably have linked nuclear power and whale deaths.  But, such is life.

Anyway, good stuff David.  We need to work together to get the oil monkey
off our backs.  Maybe the nukes can supply the energy to develop the next
generation of efficient technology and the next generation of generation.
Then we can all celebrate making a difference.

Mark Somerville

Comments are my own. 
Certified Health Physicist
PG&E Diablo Canyon Power Plant
Senior Radiation Protection Engineer
NVLAP Technical Director
(805) 545-4007
mailto:mos3@pge.com


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