The nuclear renaissance in the United States is not moving forward very quickly. Several more companies have announced delays in previously released schedules and others have imposed hiring freezes or actual work reductions. The opposition is strong; supporters need to redouble efforts.
Meredith Angwin and Charles Barton joined Rod Adams to talk about some of the reasons and effects of that slowing progress. They also discussed a nuclear education outreach program involving art being run by PopAtomic Studios and an exciting nuclear video documentary project being developed by a couple of sharp and involved high school debate students.
If you are interested in finding out how to support the video project, please send Rod Adams an email at rod(underscore)adams(at symbol)atomicinsights(dot)com
The Washington Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation makes an annual trip to Washington DC. The trip provides students in nuclear engineering programs around the country the opportunity to talk with leaders in DC based organizations important to nuclear technology like the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Energy Institute.
The trip also provides the students a chance to meet with congressmen, senators and their staff members that work on energy issues so that they can share thoughts and learn a bit more about how the political processes work.
This year, the NESD visit to Washington took place during the week of July 24-July 29. On August 1, 2010, I spoke with three of the 12 students who participated. The guests included Rachel Slaybaugh from the University of Wisconsin – Madison (one of the co-chairmen of the group), Will Sames from Texas A&M University, and Kevin Robb from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. The students shared their thoughts about the policy statement that they created on the first day of their trip, issues that concern nuclear engineering programs, federal support for research reactors, importance of faculty development programs and the importance of efforts to ensure that nuclear energy is defined as clean energy for the purposes of counting as an effort to reduce CO2.
I also want to take this opportunity to remind you that there are a couple of high school students who are undertaking a video project in which they will visit with four nuclear energy pioneers who helped them prepare for a series of competitive debates. The Team Policy combo of Price Baker and Mary Claire Birdsong debated the resolution: “Resolved: that the United State Federal Government should significantly reform its environmental policy.” Baker/Birdsong advocated the use of Nuclear Power as the most effective way to reform environmental policy. You can find out more about the project at Opportunity to Support an Exciting Nuclear Technology Video Project.
If you are interested in participating by providing a donation, please send me an email at rod(underscore)adams(at symbol)atomicinsights(dot)com.
Margaret Harding, Lisa Stiles, Dan Yurman and Rod Adams talk about the political maneuverings related to nuclear plant loan guarantees, the politics related to nuclear fuel recycling, and the prospects for significant deployment of smaller nuclear power plants in the United States.
Rod discusses the evidence that he documented on Atomic Insights with regard to the specific kind of plutonium used during the often referenced 1962 test at the Nevada Test Site. People opposed to plutonium recycling from commercial nuclear fuel often point to that test as proof positive that plutonium from power reactors can be used as raw material for a bomb, but the historical evidence proves that the material was far closer to “weapons-grade” that has previously been acknowledged. It bore no isotopic resemblance to the plutonium that can be extracted from modern commercial reactors, which remains exposed to neutrons for a much longer period of time.
That long neutron exposure produces plutonium that is a complex mix of isotopes, some of which have characteristics that prevent them from being useful in constructing a weapon. These plutonium isotopes (Pu-238, Pu-239, Pu-240 and Pu-241) cannot be easily separated from each other. In fact, the effort would be significantly more difficult than separating the two isotopes of uranium from each other in an enrichment facility.
Recycling programs involving used commercial nuclear fuel do not represent a nuclear weapons proliferation threat. Any technically competent person who claims that it does is not telling the truth and are most likely using this untruth as an argument against the widespread deployment of nuclear energy production plants because they favor increased use of a different, competitive energy source.
The discussion also turned to the economic potential for smaller reactors that can be installed in series on a common site. Dan, who has previously been a bit skeptical on The Atomic Show when the topic of small reactors has come up, has started to see the financial benefits of being able to build nuclear power plants in smaller steps, each of which can generate revenue as the step is completed.
At the end of the show, we briefly discussed fund raising ideas for an interesting video project to document the experience of two high school students who took a pro-nuclear energy position in a high school debate competition all the way to the national finals. They obtained much of their supporting information from nuclear pioneers/experts including Ted Rockwell, Len Koch, Charles Till and Robert Schenter. The video envisions the debaters obtaining face to face interviews with these pioneers. If you are interested in helping to support the travel and production expenses for this project, please send me an email at rod(underscore)adams(at symbol)atomicinsights(dot)com.
On June 15, 2010 during the American Nuclear Society annual meeting, Lisa Stiles interviewed Joe Colvin, the new President of the American Nuclear Society.
Joe talked about the opportunities and challenges facing the ANS and discussed his priorities for the upcoming year. Look for some technological improvements, new opportunities for the ANS to provide independent scientific reviews, and some initiatives to help younger members realize more value from their memberships.
