Re: NY Times article, "Nuclear Power's Second Act"

["Bjorn Cedervall" <bcradsafers@hotmail.com>]

I shared the essence of the NYT article with a friend of mine (Stephen 
Mecca, physics professor in Providence) who is outside the Radsafers. Steve 
has kindly allowed me to share his comments (see below) with the Radsafers.

Bjorn Cedervall   bcradsafers@hotmail.com
------------------------------------------

Thanks in part to deregulation and licensing costs, there are more people 
who want to sell electricity than people who want to make it.  Until they 
start rolling out 100 kW old aircraft engines on the streets of our big 
cities to make electricity, the ominous crises in production will not be 
realized.  What makes matters worse is that reliability of supply is so much 
more important in this (information) age than in any other and as we have 
increasing difficulties in meeting the top (and middle) of the load curves, 
we jeopardize the whole system reliability.

While the Times article touches on some changes in sentiment for nuclear
power among the average person, most people still have a paranoia (based 
onignorance) about it. Eventually the US and the world we wake  up on the 
issue, but not before the crisis of supply reaches epidemic proportions.

By then, we will have dismantled our infrastructure of expertise. Maybe
I'm becoming a pessimist in my old age, but that's how I view the situation.

..Steve
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