We don't have enough! Now somebody turn the West Desert into a damn train of nuclear power plants. I'll settle for wind production...
Actually, we don't have enough, Achebe. If we had enough then the utilities wouldn't have to burn oil to keep the lights on, and there would be no energy crisis. And we could get the hell out of the ME and let the Arabs stew in their anger over some other perceived evil we commit. I'm sure that that would just reinforce their general opinion that we are the cause of their poverty, though - without American purchases of their oil, they have nothing. If you want to go to wind power, I hope you're prepared to cover every surface in the nation with a windmill, because they don't generate much power. I'm all for alternate power sources, but there's a reason why we can't seriously consider going entirely Green - unless the Greens rethink their position on nuclear power...
<B>Actually, we don't have enough, Achebe. If we had enough then the utilities wouldn't have to burn oil to keep the lights on, and there would be no energy crisis. </B> From what I understand, there wasn't actually ever any energy shortage. The problem was that the power is not located well. The continental US is built on 3 separate power grids -- Eastern US, Western US, and Texas (why, I don't know). Texas had enough excess power during the summer to cover all the US shortfalls in the West and East. Unfortunately, the grids are not connected (I don't know how this works exactly) and thus that power was not available to the East and West. Seems to me if we just connected the power grids, we would be fine.
That is an excellent point. Also, there is already enough wind power in Texas to power 2 million homes and that is just from a couple hundred acres of windmills in west Texas. You may already have gotten some wind-generated power in your home because it is mixed in with coal and natural gas power before it is sent out to homes. I recently switched to Green Mountain Energy to test it out now that we have deregulation. Interesting stuff. Most all sources of power create real problems, but that is the nature of it... Coal - air pollution Oil - ground and water pollution - dependance on foriegn oil Solar - solar cell production leaves some hazardous waste behind Hydroelectric - destroy natural habitats to damn up larger rivers for power Wind - not enough to create permanent replacement Nuclear - what to do with the waste it leaves behind - inherent contamination danger at facilities I just think we need to reduce our reliance on forms of energy that create the biggest problems and try to work on new stuff. Recently, I heard a report from the 700 Club (of all places!) that Minnesota has gotten the green light from the FDA and energy producers to begin testing their new corn-based product for use in hundreds of different products from auto and home fuel to production of fiber for clothing and paper products. According to the story, the products are environmentally friendly, renewable and cheap. One factory can produce fuel to power 1 million emission-free cars per day. The estimate the cost to be about 1/3 that of gasoline if produced on the same scale because of the inexpensive nature of production.
I live 30 miles from the 1 of the 2 Nuclear Power plants in California Isnt there a Nuclear Power Plant In Springfield?
RocksMill wrote: "Jesus rH, you're giving them a freaking map of the place!" haha.. not me... REUTERS is!! rH
Yeah Homer has saved it from quite a few meltdowns... - the "pulled a Homer" episode, when the Germans bought the plant. - the "300lb plus work at home Homer" episode when Homer gets stuck in the venting tank. Jeff, let me know how that Power Company is. I have been signed up with newpower.com for close to two months now. I am waiting for them to switch me over. Good Quote from Armageddon Rockhound: "Yeeha! Ride 'em cowboy!" Sharp: "Get off. The Nuclear. Warhead." Rockhound: "Oh, sorry, I was doing that guy from that movie you know Slim Pickings where he rides it all the way in the nuclear warhead" Sharp: "Now." Rockhound: "Oh, you didn't see that one huh" Harry: "We've got 700 feet of hole to dig Rockhound!" Rockhound: "Okay, just wanted to feel the power between my legs, brother. Hey Sharp! No Nukes! No Nukes! No Nukes!" Harry: "You got any more bullets left in that gun, Sharp?"
........but that brings up the entire issue why the power wasn't located well and California had brownouts and blackouts. Perhap in the future, California will have enough surplus electricty generation that they could bail Texas out of a shortage and we will regret not having a grid connection to the West. Mango
I'd also like to know how that power company works out, Jeff. I'm all for anything that reduces waste and emissions, as long as it works and is enough (and isn't too expensive).
Many Houston Based companies such as Enron, Dynegy and Reliant Energy are creating liquid markets for energy and other commodities for states or companies to hedge against future changes in supply of energy. This is a product of rapid de-regulation, but when it finalizes, the system will be much more cost efficient for every individual. Just because a plant is using Nuclear Power doesn't mean its a bomb waiting to explose. Nuclear is a very broad term. I don't think the ability of terrorists attacking a Nuclear plant have the negative repurcussions many here are envisioning. The danger in a free society such as ours is that a terrorist can take his car and run it into a group of people, a terrorist can throw a rock on the highway and cause an accident. I feel we must combat the roots of a problem otherwise we will simply be raking leaves of a tree that keeps on growing.
I've got to admit, it feels pretty good to be living out here among the windmills of West Texas about now.
thats some scary crap!!! I know I didn't live too far from one. What is the blast radius of a melt down? Anyone?
What exactly would happen if terrorists were able to attack a nuclear plant? How large of an are would it affect and exactly how would it affect the area?
