Posted on 04/08/2008 5:04:40 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Oh, it counts, but you MUST understand that experimental devices are just that, experimental, and things WILL fail. The safety factor is a lot lower than for commercial systems. And even if the SL-1 accident is included, the safety record of the nuclear power industry is better than ANY OTHER MEANS OF GENERATING ELECTRICITY--INCLUDING all the experimental systems.
"Easy to say irrelevant when it suits your needs.
When you start comparing apples and oranges, yes it "is" irrelevant.
"Lol, I must be the only woman on this thread."
And that, too, is irrelevant.
But what you ARE is a gullible twit. The anti-nuclear "movement" started out as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the KGB, started and funded by the Soviet Union, as a means of putting pressure and slowing the US's efforts in nuclear weapons research. Unfortunately, it didn't die with the Soviets, having become part of the belief system of the leftists.
The US needs to increase its energy production, and nuclear power is THE most reliable, safest, and lowest environmentally impacting way to do that that we have. It could also be the least expensive, if the KGB puppets weren't constantly working to increase the cost with constant fearmongering and lawsuits.
Westinghouse is an autonomous unit of Toshiba.
There is Japanese involvement in the small BWR division of Westinghouse, but there are no Toshiba executives in the three main divisions (New Plants, PWR Services, Fuel Services) of Westinghouse.
Toshiba purchased Westinghouse from BNFL less than two years ago. Westinghouse blossomed under BNFL ownership because BNFL let Westinghouse operate freely. If you recall, before BNFL, Westinghouse was owned by CBS (yes, that CBS). Under American CBS ownership, Westinghouse was stiffled by lawyers who wanted involvement in every aspect of operation.
Toshiba has promised to allow Westinghouse to operate as it did under BNFL.
Toshiba purchased Westinghouse because many of these deals were already in the works, while it was a British owned company.
Thus, I beleive that your problem with the nuclear rennaissance, because it is starting with Westinghouse, because Westinghouse is an autonomous unit of Toshiba, because Toshiba sold a sensitive capability long before it bought Westinghouse, is unfounded.
There was no problem with the TMI design. If the operators had allowed the design features to work, you'd see four stacks steaming.
And clearly, the last resort safety feature (the containment) worked. Otherwise you wouldn't be looking out your window at the plant.
More people died at Chappaquiddick than at TMI.
Deals are nearly complete to start building these in South Africa.
Not right now. This is under review...
I’m glad to see this, but don’t like Toshiba anywhere near a contract after their sub prop business.
see post 142.
If we HAD done it thirty years ago, the Arabs would be happy as clams now if they could get twenty five bucks for a barrel of oil.
Aren’t the froggies like 80 percent nuclear?
Not to mention the fact that reactor tech has evolved hugely, cripes half the satellites we send out now will run for 25,000 years on the amount of radium that used to be in a watch dial...
Thanks. I appreciate the info.
PWR’s are a solid technology. We used to have a saying, BTW, “it may be screwed up it’s GE, but you can be sure if it’s Westinghouse”
Whether it be GE’s ABWR/ESBWR or Westinghouse’s AP1000, the sad thing is that the first of these are being built in a foreign country. The AP1000 will see first life in China, and I believe the ABWR is in Japan. We need to build 200 new reactors, or more. And we should immediately begin reprocessing the current inventory of spent fuel rods. There is no reason that we should bury perfectly good U-235 and Pu-239 inside Yucca Mountain.
Yes Toshiba shared it with our enemies. So now we have a choice BWR or PWR from Japan. Our companies and individuals have a responsibility to safeguard technology that is could be helpful to those that would destroy us. Implying that only the federal government is responsible is a rationalization that allows one to dodge accountability for their actions.
Well yaa!
Here is an excellent article on Nuclear Power:
http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis/archive/issue.asp?year=2008&month=02
Thanks for the comments Nuc1. I do appreciate your insight on it.
I've got absolutely no problem with any 'nuclear renaissance' (real or imaginary ;>). That is completely irrelevant to the fact that, in my opinion, Toshiba sucks. In fact, I think Toshiba sucks big time...
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