Nuclear power:
Poor Japan! I mean that sincerely. Nobody should have to be in that situation. It isn’t their fault that Mother Nature rose up and ’bitch slapped’ them….It IS their fault that they have embraced an administration supporting nuclear power for a disproportionate part of their total energy needs.
The Issue as I see it is not that the plants were damaged by ‘the biggest quake to hit Japan in recorded times” but rather that the administration has assured the lemming like population that they could handle ANY SITUATION. And they believed it! Now the fate of a quarter million people appears to be riding on the suicidal efforts of fifty or so brave men. God bless them!
Nuclear power is a cheap power source AS LONG AS NOTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS. My good friend up North disagrees with me and thinks we should look at the risk by degree. I think that is dangerous, the most technologically advanced machine ever made by mankind, back-up on back-up on back-up systems, the best minds in the world, a decade to develop, think about it. 5 shuttles built, 2 destroyed . Compare that to the fact that no new nuclear plant has been built for 15 years and none even started for 25! How old and decrepit is that technology now! Hell, we were still using dial phones (some of us) when we were signing on to this nightmare.
I was in sixth grade when we were happily carted off in our nice yellow school bus from Fishkill to Indian Point Number One to see the thing in person…kids, I am 61 years old! That should tell you a little of the risk we are accepting for cheap ( did I really say CHEAP ? )power. Only a matter of time folks, only a matter of time.
Okay then, now that I have kvetched about the nuclear plant issue you rightfully ask: So Dave what do we do? I agree, it is only fair to take a stab at it!
One.: Start by understanding that our pols want to stay in office more than anything else, they are afraid of saying what must be said for fear of being thrown out. I think this is a very opportune time for a bit of courage.
Budget time has come to all of us. The ‘kick the can down the road” approach is about over and we all know it. I think it is time to confront this devil and say what has to be said. If we want to continue our lifestyles we HAVE TO EMBRACE THE THOUGHT that we can’t expect one, two, or even three sources of power will fulfill our needs. Unless we want to start living by candle light we need to go after every source of energy, average the cost, and move on….did you catch the “average’ reference?
How do you do that with so many suppliers? How do you make the cost of energy consistent throughout the country given the hydro power availability compared with areas that have coal (and by the way THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ‘CLEAN COAL’), TO AREAS THAT HAVE WIND FARM SITES. The list goes on.
The answer is simple. Too simple. You do a zero sum computation and here is how it would work. You might start by State or region first. To do the entire country would be daunting at best perhaps impossible (at first!).
Determine the kilowatt or therm cost for every provider, geo, hydro, wind, coal, gas, etc. etc. Determine the total energy you need to plan for. Divide one by the other and you will come to some constant number as an average cost per unit of energy. That number is the amount you and I and industry etc. pay by metered usage.
I know, I know. How do you administer and assign the cost numbers? I didn’t say this was going to be easy did I?
We have an energy Czar already, yes? We have an energy dept. yes? Set them the task of evaluating and AUDITING costs vs. profit etc. Yes you’ll have to set a reasonable profit norm for this to work, again NOT EASY. Billing would be through the central energy agency/ whatever you call it, office of the energy Czar if you like with meter readings done as before. We send a check based on energy usage, the Czar’s office disperses the funds per the cost/profit calculations we spoke about earlier.
In this way the wind/solar/geo energy that is disproportionately expensive and disproportionately desirable to (for now cheaper) coal/gas/oil/fossil fuel would be made affordable. As we would be diversifying if any system failed, or came online adjustments could be made co the cost of energy. Wouldn’t that be nice?
I think that if you trust us we will be reasonable and receptive to a new approach to this issue that will only get worse. This is only one idea but it is new and perhaps workable…
Think about it. Those of us that use electricity’s. oil, vs. wind energy could expect to pay the same rate per unit of energy. We could expect to control our use by re-insulating, upgrading our systems, changing how we live a bit, I.e. turn off the TV. at night, buy a new instant on hot water heater etc.
Seems common sense to me…..db
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