Note from Stewart Brand on September 14, 2007.
Whether for good or ill, a nuclear energy revival is under way, with long term consequences at stake. What's
actually going on, and why? Tonight's talk reports in vivid detail on the current realities of the nuclear power
industry and technology in the US, full of news for both proponents and opponents.
I'll add here some global context. Nuclear energy technology is a half century old. Some say it's in decline because
it's too centralized, too expensive, and facing better carbon-free energy sources. Others say it's now a mature,
proven industry being steadily refined toward ever greater safety, lower cost, and higher efficiency, uniquely able
to handle the scale needed for growing global energy needs such as in China and India. The decision of which
view is right is made by governments.
China has ordered six large nuclear reactors, four from the US (Westinghouse), two from France (AREVA), and it is
exploring next-generation meltdown-proof "pebble-bed" reactors. India, whose electricity needs are growing 10%
a year, plans to expand its nuclear capacity tenfold from its present ten reactors. Green Finland is building two
new reactors. Green Germany is quietly reversing its decision to shut down the 19 reactors it has. France gets 80%
of its electricity from nuclear and is building another reactor. England's Prime Ministers (Blair and now Brown)
are pushing for nuclear expansion, and so is Australia's PM Howard. Turkey and Vietnam are exploring nuclear
programs, and South Africa and Argentina are expanding theirs. Worldwide, 31 nuclear plants are currently under
construction, adding to the present 439 reactors that provide 15% of the world's electricity.
In the US, no new reactors have been built since the early '80s and several were shut down. This year the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission is considering applications for 12 new reactors and expects another 15 next year. The
reprocessing of spent fuel in the US, which was banned by President Carter, has been relegalized, and a
reprocessing plant is planned for New Mexico. In California, two nuclear plants were shut down after Chernobyl
(1986). The four remaining provide 13% of California's electricity. A new plant is being promoted for
construction near Fresno.
Nukes are hyperbole magnets, both from boosters and foes. The debate needs gritty, ground-truth details.
Tonight we get some...
"Power to Save the World," Gwyneth Cravens with Rip Anderson, Herbst
Theater, San Francisco, 7pm, TONIGHT, September 14. The lecture starts promptly at 7:30pm. Admission is free (a
$10 donation is always welcome, not required)
NOTE: This SALT talk is downtown at the Herbst Theater on Van Ness and McAllister.
Tonight's talk is one of a monthly series of Seminars About Long-term Thinking (SALT) organized by The Long
Now Foundation. Audio downloads from all previous talks are available for free through the final link in this
note. If you would like to be notified by email of forthcoming talks, go [1]here to sign up online. Any questions,
contact Danielle Engelman at Long Now--- 415-561-6582, [2]danielle@longnow.org.
You are welcome to forward this note to anyone you think might be interested.
--Stewart Brand
Next
Whether for good or ill, a nuclear energy revival is under way, with long term consequences at stake. What's
actually going on, and why? Tonight's talk reports in vivid detail on the current realities of the nuclear power
industry and technology in the US, full of news for both proponents and opponents.
I'll add here some global context. Nuclear energy technology is a half century old. Some say it's in decline because
it's too centralized, too expensive, and facing better carbon-free energy sources. Others say it's now a mature,
proven industry being steadily refined toward ever greater safety, lower cost, and higher efficiency, uniquely able
to handle the scale needed for growing global energy needs such as in China and India. The decision of which
view is right is made by governments.
China has ordered six large nuclear reactors, four from the US (Westinghouse), two from France (AREVA), and it is
exploring next-generation meltdown-proof "pebble-bed" reactors. India, whose electricity needs are growing 10%
a year, plans to expand its nuclear capacity tenfold from its present ten reactors. Green Finland is building two
new reactors. Green Germany is quietly reversing its decision to shut down the 19 reactors it has. France gets 80%
of its electricity from nuclear and is building another reactor. England's Prime Ministers (Blair and now Brown)
are pushing for nuclear expansion, and so is Australia's PM Howard. Turkey and Vietnam are exploring nuclear
programs, and South Africa and Argentina are expanding theirs. Worldwide, 31 nuclear plants are currently under
construction, adding to the present 439 reactors that provide 15% of the world's electricity.
In the US, no new reactors have been built since the early '80s and several were shut down. This year the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission is considering applications for 12 new reactors and expects another 15 next year. The
reprocessing of spent fuel in the US, which was banned by President Carter, has been relegalized, and a
reprocessing plant is planned for New Mexico. In California, two nuclear plants were shut down after Chernobyl
(1986). The four remaining provide 13% of California's electricity. A new plant is being promoted for
construction near Fresno.
Nukes are hyperbole magnets, both from boosters and foes. The debate needs gritty, ground-truth details.
Tonight we get some...
"Power to Save the World," Gwyneth Cravens with Rip Anderson, Herbst
Theater, San Francisco, 7pm, TONIGHT, September 14. The lecture starts promptly at 7:30pm. Admission is free (a
$10 donation is always welcome, not required)
NOTE: This SALT talk is downtown at the Herbst Theater on Van Ness and McAllister.
Tonight's talk is one of a monthly series of Seminars About Long-term Thinking (SALT) organized by The Long
Now Foundation. Audio downloads from all previous talks are available for free through the final link in this
note. If you would like to be notified by email of forthcoming talks, go [1]here to sign up online. Any questions,
contact Danielle Engelman at Long Now--- 415-561-6582, [2]danielle@longnow.org.
You are welcome to forward this note to anyone you think might be interested.
--Stewart Brand
Next
 | |  | |  | |  |
Energy Robot