Re: Public Trust and Other Dreams

[muckerheide <muckerheide@attbi.com>]

 From: Ruth Sponsler <jk5554@YAHOO.COM>



> Russ - 

> 

> I will 'believe in coal' when acid rain on ridgeline

> habitats (mountain top biogeographical 'islands') is

> not a problem. 



Not a problem in W.Virginia. They take the ridgeline and dump it in a valley

so they can strip mine the coal instead of opening mine shafts :-)



See:

http://ems.org/mountaintop_removal/background.html



See also:

http://www.antenna.nl/wise/uranium/mdafin.html



[see below]



> http://www.itpi.dpi.state.nc.us/counties/Yancey/yancey/mtview.html

> 

> http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/nsf50/nsfoutreach/htm/n50_z2/pages_z3/17_pg.htm

> 

> I support nuclear because it is the alternative to

> fossil fuels that is able to generate the most

> practical quantity of electricity (large amounts).

> 

> I also happen to think that solar is a good

> alternative for sunny (Southwestern) regions

> especially with passive designs.  However, even if

> everyone in the states of New Mexico or Arizona had a

> solar system on their roof, they would still need some

> non-solar generation, because solar cannot generate

> sufficient power for peaks or at all times of the day.

> For that other electricity need, I'll take Palo Verde

> over Four Corners Coal Plant any day.

> 

> The article below, while admittedly heavy on the

> 'propaganda' side, states that Four Corners spewed 13

> million tons of 'toxins' in the air.  I think they

> mean mainly nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides.

> 

> http://dinecare.indigenousnative.org/4_corners_toxins.html

> 

> Even if the figure is an exaggeration, the point is

> that Four Corners Power plant puts out enough air

> pollutants to obscure vistas that were once very clear

> in the region, while Palo Verde emits very little.  By

> the way, Four Corners was built _after_ the

> anti-nuclear pressure movement had its heyday out in

> California with Jackson Browne etc.  The power

> companies decided that coal was the 'default'

> alternative.  

> 

> I have found coal to be a very "interesting" default

> choice of people who call themselves

> "environmentalists" [not!].  When presented with the

> choice of being anti-nuke or 'hugging a tree,' these

> people choose to be anti-nuke and to kill the tree by

> allowing coal as the 'default' option.

> 

> On the other hand, I have found no evidence so far

> that being pro-nuke is incompatible with 'hugging

> trees.' [I mean conservation of forests, wilderness,

> etc.]



Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy

See e.g., James Lovelock's (GAIA Hypothesis) comments:

http://cnts.wpi.edu/rsh/Docs/NuclearTech/index.htm

The top two links on the page.



Regards, Jim



> In answer to the original question, I became

> interested in energy issues when I was a kid growing

> up in California during the 'energy crisis' of 1975.

> 

> ~Ruth 2.  

> 

> 

> 

>> I will believe in nuclear power when two things have

>> been done. First,

>> nuclear reactors are extremely inefficient. Up to

>> 90% of the energy

>> produced is dumped as radiant heat with only 10-15%

>> utilized for power

>> conversion. Recycle some of that lost energy to get

>> "more bang from the

>> buck". Secondly, the waste management issue. Got to

>> find a way to either

>> produce less long-term rad waste, or figure a way to

>> "recycle" it. Yucca

>> Mountain just like WIPP in New Mexico is only a

>> temporary fix. It will

>> fill up and then close. Then what?

>> So, two good threads can come from this query......

>> - Russ Johnson

>> Radiation Safety and Training Specialist

>> New Mexico State University

>> 

>> 

> 

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