While we were pre-occupied with the Hulu Selangor by-election, some 120,000 people attended demonstrations in Germany on Saturday to protest their government’s plans to extend the life-spans of the country’s nuclear power plants.
The demonstrators formed a 120-km human chain stretching across several states. This report is from dw-world.de
Opponents of nuclear power joined hands to form a 120-kilometer human chain across northern Germany. They were protesting Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to revoke a law that would shut down nuclear plants by 2020.
Tens of thousands of people attended demonstrations on Saturday aimed at protesting the German government’s plans to extend the lives of its nuclear power plants.
Demonstrators formed a 120-kilometer (74-mile) human chain that stretched from a nuclear power plant in Brunsbuettel, through Hamburg along the Elbe River to another plant in Kruemmel.
Both reactors have been almost continuously out of service since a series of accidents in 2007.
Full story here.
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The temporary cooling effects of some fossil-fuel exhaust components is well-known. Yet, the underlying tangible reality of global warming takes a lot of “nut” mentality to deny. Do you know how much hidden subsidy goes into fossil fuel? Nuclear energey has killed hundreds of thousands, while similar numbers who survive including children are maimed mentally or tortured by cancers. It takes a big “nut” to deny this. Why criticize the theory of alternative energy and praise the theoretical safety of nuclear energy? Are you aware that the fuel is in short supply over the medium term? In countries where the… Read more »
Anil,
Going beyond fission (nuclear) energy we may go fusion.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/science/04/28/laser.fusion.nif/index.html
The above is an experiment exploring the possibility of fusion energy. Another one is in Europe, with participants from all around the world.
A third experiment is in China (I heard that there are actually 2 experiments).
Japan has also their own labs doing the same experiment.
WOOT !!!
Anil, can you believe this?
Cleaner air could intensify global warming ! ( http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126226938&ft=1&f=1007 )
Another link is at http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-kintisch18-2010apr18,0,3774828.story
If you have in-depth knowledge on the operation of nuclear power station, you will found out it actually must must greener than fossil fuel and dam(n)s.
High-latitude countries are in a tricky position where energy supplies are concerned, particularly as it’s becoming more and more awkward to invade the Middle East and take theirs. I’m disappointed that Germany has changed its mind on Nuclear power – and my last lucrative employment was designing instruments for the nuclear industry. The problems with Nuclear power, while they may be technically surmountable on a local and short-term scale are politically appalling on a global and long-term scale. Of particular concern is the end-of-life costs – see the Wikipedia article on “Nuclear Decommissioning”. I think something has to give, but… Read more »
Seriously I have the feeling that, in not so distance future, we will have it. There were many subtle hints during recent months.
Nuclear energy is a no-choice option during the transition phase from fossil fuel to a full renewable energy source.
A hardcore rightwing commenter who uses the nick “Iron” is merely trying to prolong the “Iron Age” or Kali yuga – also known as the Age of Darkness! Why are you clinging so ferociously to dinosaurian ways?
Do yuou have money invested in fossil fuel industries?
Or is it your database that’s fossilized?
Dark ages? Yeah.
Them econuts certainly want no part in the nuclear energy but they still like to enjoy the comfort of modern lifestyle – heating, cooling, fast food, fast cars, nice clothing.
Something has to give.
As long as the human population keeps on ballooning something has to give – ecology will have to suffer.
Don’t worry, the mother nature will strike back hard to limit human population in order to achieve new equilibrium.
Mega starvation due to global warming may reduce population to one billion or less. This is a possibility we cannot ignore.
It is easy to call 120,000 protestors as “econuts”. If we go deeper into the pro and cons of nuclear power, things are much more complex than we think.
If 120,000 take the trouble to come out and protest something, there must be something that they find disturbing.
Are they psychologically disturbed or are they showing disturbing psychiatrically “nutty” behaviour? Think.
“If we go deeper into the pro and cons of nuclear power, things are much more complex than we think.” Why go the route of complexity when simplicity can do the work? With 7 Billion people on earth and the number is going higher by the second, how long you think this earth can tahan? Do you know that, every single minute the human population on earth use 1 million barrel of oil? Yes, the time it takes you to read this message 1 million barrel of oil will be gone, forever. Can you please tell me how many tons… Read more »
To Iron, I would categorized you as one of the naysayer of renewable energy. Because that’s what you have said, quote: “No “renewable energy” can generate enough power to make the society going.” Let’s consider solar energy, do you know that we only need to capture 0.3% of the sunlight in the Sahara desert to power the whole Europe with more to spare? Just in case that you are wondering, you can find the information here. The problem with renewable energy is not that it can not work, but rather that there are too many naysayers (ones that like you)… Read more »
I agree solar energy is the first candidate to replace fossil fuel. In theory, 2 hours sunlight can supply electricity for the whole world for one year. Electricity storage for the night hours is still a bottleneck as at now and in near future. Nuclear power plant is pretty safe IF first class maintenance culture is in place. Yap…I’m not sure Bolehland has such first class maintenance culture or not? Nuclear used fuel storage is not super dangerous as many like to believe. Coral reefs are flourishing than ever on the seabed in the vicinity of Taiwan nuclear plant. Chernobyl… Read more »
“In theory, 2 hours sunlight can supply electricity for the whole world for one year.”
In theory, the energy of ONE lightning – especially the “kaboom” type – can power a mid size city for an entire month.
In theory, of course. 😀
Now … let’s talk about practicality … can someone please come up with a workable solution to harvest the electricity of lightning ?
“I would categorized you as one of the naysayer of renewable energy. Because that’s what you have said, quote: “No “renewable energy” can generate enough power to make the society going.” 1. I am just being pragmatic. 2. Please show me the proof of what you said above – ie., [the area of the entire sahara desert] multiplied by [the power supplied by the sunlight (solar)] multiplied by [the conversion rate of the solar panel] multiplied by [the loss of conversion of electricity from AC to DC] multiplied by [the loss of electricity in transmission] equals to the total energy… Read more »
I expect you two have access to Wikipedia and can do arithmetic, but if you (or any other readers) are motivationally challenged, here are the facts and calculations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahara 9 million km^2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insolation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Insolation.png Looks like average 300W/m^2 Average Sahara insolation = 9×10^6 x 10^6 (km^2 -> m^2) x 3×10^2 = 2.7×10^15W http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaics#Current_development Solar efficiency (pick a number!) 18% – top of current market, better exists, assume efficiency by time of implementation is at least as good as current figures. 2.7×10^15W x 18% = ooh… 3x9x10^14W x 2x9x10^-2 = 486×10^12W = 4.86×10^14W …already looks a bit low to me (x10^3=KW,… Read more »
Oops knew I’d gone wrong somewhere! The price – the last part – is for per Watt output, so that efficiency factor shouldn’t be in there. The price for the panels is only (!) $30,000,000,000,000. You see? That’s how honest I am – on a percent commission, your gain my loss wan!
Edited too slow!
[More edits…] I’m not very good at this… the average insolation includes night-time and clouds, I think. So if the 5TW average must be generated from ‘6 good hours’ during the day, the ‘6 good hour’ average must be 20TW. That puts the solar panel price up 4x, to $120,000,000,000,000. I’m on a % commission, so … swings and roundabouts mah!
Anybody else spot any sleights of hand?
Nice. Now, take the amount of Natural Gas, Crude Oil and Coal produced inside Europe and those that are imported from elsewhere (Russia, Middle East, Azerbaijan for example), multiplied the total amount by 80% (since 20% of those are used to produce electricity in the power generation plants). And then you calculate the distance between the Sahara desert to the continental Europe (mid point to mid point), then multiplied it at the rate of 6.5% per 1000 miles. (This is assuming that there are underwater electric cable networks under the Mediterranean sea connecting the Sahara desert to Europe and not… Read more »
Anil, this is an addendum to my message above.
I just checked, the real figure for power loss due to transmission is 6.5% per 1,000 KM. It’s the latest figure (2007) published by those who generate electricity in America.
Until the time we have room-temperature super-conductors as transmission wires, there will always be a loss of power due to the resistance of the power-wire itself.
There are times I want to laugh at what the econuts are doing but then, there are times what they are doing is so damn un-funny I can’t locate my laugh no more. Them German econuts — they are anti-nuke. And they are anti-fossil fuel also. And here lies the problem. They have such a huge gathering, some traveling hundreds of miles to get to the site. All the vehicles (trains, buses, cars, whatnots) that transport them to the site —> Are the vehicles running on perpetual motion machine or what ??? In other words, do they think what they… Read more »