Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Saving the world through Renewable NuclearEnergy!
April 21, 2012
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Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Assumptions
I assume you believe the following
Energy is important
Global warming is bad
Fossil Fuels are therefore bad
Sustainable/Renewable energy is good
We should invest more into Solar and Wind technology
Nuclear power is dangerous
Nuclear power is bad for the environment
Nuclear radiation is dangerous
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Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Current state of energy production
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Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Issues with Solar/Wind - Magnitude
Wind - not just for hippies any more.
Denmark generates 18% of its energy through Windgeneration.
Goal for US is 20% wind power in the next few decades.Pecha Kucha 4
Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Issues with Solar/Wind – Transmission
Need to transmit poweracross the country
From where it’s sunny
To where we live
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Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Issues with Solar/Wind – Storage
The sun doesn’t shine all day. Sometimes it doesn’t shine for aweek or more.
Solution? : Build a big assbattery!
Solution? : Use a Prius!
Ffestiniog Power Station nearGwynedd – 360MW
Pumps water up at night, lets itfall down during the day!
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Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Issues with Solar/Wind – Not a contender
The geographic and temporal variability of Solar and Wind areserious barriers to replacing coal as the major energy provider.
There is no technology in the foreseeable future which solves theseproblems.
We need an alternative baseline energy
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Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Nuclear - Need a baseline energy source
The Danish said ”We want Wind!”, did a stunning job, andachieved a stunning 18%.The French said ”We want ze nuclaire!” and achieved 75%.
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Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Nuclear - Concerns
Nuclear Catastrophe - Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, etc....
Nuclear Waste
Proliferation of weapons materials to people we don’t like
Low level radiation
Terrorism
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Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Nuclear - Chernobyl
400x more radioactive materialreleased than Hiroshima
Spread over hundreds of miles
237 response workers sufferedAcute Radiation Sickness (31 diedwithin months)
216 deaths among workerseventually attributed to the disaster
4000 cases of thyroid cancer
27000 estimated total deaths
But – that was Russia, in the 1980s. Current nuclear plants arefool proof....Pecha Kucha 10
Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Nuclear - Sweden!
Anecdote - Russia didn’t announce ”We may have just floodedEastern Europe with radioactive material”
Sweden figured it outScary thought: Sweden is 680 miles awayPecha Kucha 11
Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Nuclear - Fukushima
But that was Russia, inthe 1980s. Current nuclearplants are fool proof....
–cocky nuclear scientists
Caused by a GFT (Giant FuckingTsunami)
1/10th radiation released asChernobyl
Resulting deaths from cancerestimated at 0 → 100
This will probably happen again - we can’t plan for everythingPecha Kucha 12
Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Nuclear - vs. Coal
100,000 miners in the US have died from Coal historically
Today we’re down to 30 direct deaths per year
6000 deaths annually in China
4000 new cases of black lung in US annually
”Vivid is not the same as true. Its far easier toamplify sudden and horrible outcomes than it is to talkabout the slow, grinding reality of day to day strife”
– Some guy on the internet
Increased risks of respiratory illness to general population
Global warming
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Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Nuclear - Yucca Mountain
National Waste Repository
Nevada Nuclear testing site
Cancelled due to political concerns
(a)
(b)
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Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Nuclear - Where is the waste now?
Going for a swim! Lying in the sun!
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Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Coal waste - Sequestration
Lets not forget that Coal also has a waste problem.
This problem is arguably more serious.Pecha Kucha 16
Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Conclusion
Nuclear Power — We’re better than Coal!
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Introduction Solar/Wind Nuclear Conclusion
Nuclear - Terrorism
What happens when you crash a plane into a Nuclear plant?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7eI4vvlupY
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