[ RadSafe ] nuclear power is nowhere near green (was Re: Nukes are Green)

[Frank Helk]

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 05:39:59 -0700, James Salsman wrote:

>> Wind is promising, for its costs have fallen 80 percent, but it 
>> suffers from one big problem: wind doesn't blow all the time.
>[...] Wind power can be easily stored
>by pumping water to elevated tanks or reservoirs, and using the
>potential energy to run ordinary hydroelectric turbines.

That's not really true - the reservoirs need pretty much land, and they
cost a lot of money. And for every windmill you have to provide a
matching amount of a conventional power station in standby (called 
"shadow power station") for the times when the windmill doesn't 
generate electricity - wich is when no wind blows or when there's 
more wind than the windmill can manage (storm). In the latter case 
the windmills have to be switched into neutral to prevent damage to 
the system.

And: You'll need very big reservoirs if you don't have shadow power 
stations ... the reservoir may last out a low wind phase of 10 hours, 
or 20, or maybe 50. But when it is empty, you have a serious blackout. 
A conventional power station will last until the fuel is empty, or as long 
as you can bring fuel to it. A nclear power station is usually 100% online 
for at least a year without refuelling.

BTW: The places where pump stations are possible are not endless.
Not even when not taking cost into account. And there are environmental
issues on such facilities, too. Not to speak about the issues with 
windmills (they're killing birds, throw with ice lumps in winter, etc.)

>> nuclear energy already makes up 20 percent of America's power
>The U.S. could provide 90% of its electrical demand using wind
>turbines on just 3% of its farmland.  Building such turbines would
>cost far less than building the nuclear power plants to provide
>the same 90% of demand.

I suspect that figure doesn't take into account

- the enormous number of needed conventional shadow power stations
- the great number of pump storage facilities needed, and
- the enormous cost for the additional power lines needed to connect
  every windmill to the power grid.
- the fact that not every patch of farmland has enough wind on it
  to make a windmill profitalble.

In my opinion: Nukes are greener 

Best regards

	Frank