Should we get Nukes ?
- Thread starter Shannow
- Start date
Yep!
Mildura!
We did something right! (Even though I'm in Adelaide now)
...actually it's closer to Gol Gol, and it's a fair way out. But gee it's gonna be a biggun.
Mildura!
We did something right! (Even though I'm in Adelaide now)
...actually it's closer to Gol Gol, and it's a fair way out. But gee it's gonna be a biggun.
Goreripper
Metal as fuck
I wondered how long it would take for someone to bring up Chernobyl. That accident was caused by gross negligence, mismanagement and shoddy maintenance that was mainly to blame on a crumbling Communist state. Something like that is pretty unlikely to happen in Australia or anywhere else really. Chernobyl was horrible, but in 55 years of nuclear power technology, it's been the only major accident, and it was almost 20 years ago now. Bad as the fallout (pun intended) from a nuclear power plant accident may be, I'd say it has a pretty good record compared to coal mining, hydro-electric energy schemes (anyone know off-hand how many died building the Snowy Mountains Scheme?), oil drilling and almost any other form of energy production you could think of. It's also far more efficient. Australia has so much uranium that we could power every city in the country by nuclear power alone just about forever.
Valid points Gore, but I wasn't bringing up Chernobyl just for the sake of saying, "look, things go wrong" I was bringing it up in relation to a documentary I saw on Foreign Correspondent looking at life in Chernobyl today. I forget the title of it.
I didn't mention it because of the accident, I mentioned it because it shows that when things fuck up, they can fuck up big time, and that 20 years on people are still suffering because of it. Even those who weren't born when it happened.
I didn't mention it because of the accident, I mentioned it because it shows that when things fuck up, they can fuck up big time, and that 20 years on people are still suffering because of it. Even those who weren't born when it happened.
Note, I changed my avatar about when I posted the topic.
Chernobyl was, as Gorey pointed out, an act of gross negligence, coupled to a design that wasn't the safest to begin with. The test that they were performing at the time was ill concieved and was pretty well doomed to end up with what they achieved.
There was a serious issue, that killed a lot of people up front. The soldiers that provided the initial containment were absolute heros.
BTW, where I work (as well as most plces that comply with the pressure piping codes), we X-Ray welds. We bring radioactive isotopes on site in shielded containers, and then expose them to the pipe, with a film on the other side. Should a "source" go missing, about the only way to get it back is for people to run in with sandbags full of lead shot, and throw it near the source.
Japan ended up with 16 reactors with significant cracking because they entrusted maintenance to the companies, rather than sending in inspectors to check. The companies placed profit ahead of safety.
BTW, You have high energy nuclear sources driving through town every day, regardless of your Nuke free status. I've only heard (anecdotally) of a single incidence in a few decades of use.
If the company that I work for were to open a nuke under the current plant maintenance strategy...I'd move...to another state.
If I were responsible for maintenance at a nuclear site, and had a supportive management, I'd have my family living next door.
Bearing in mind that we can make coal fired electricity for less than 3c/kWhr (check you bill forwhat you pay), I believe that we should have Government run/controlled nukes (otherwise how can you be sure of weapons production), with corporate owned shoulder and peaking plant competing for those markets.
Chernobyl was, as Gorey pointed out, an act of gross negligence, coupled to a design that wasn't the safest to begin with. The test that they were performing at the time was ill concieved and was pretty well doomed to end up with what they achieved.
There was a serious issue, that killed a lot of people up front. The soldiers that provided the initial containment were absolute heros.
BTW, where I work (as well as most plces that comply with the pressure piping codes), we X-Ray welds. We bring radioactive isotopes on site in shielded containers, and then expose them to the pipe, with a film on the other side. Should a "source" go missing, about the only way to get it back is for people to run in with sandbags full of lead shot, and throw it near the source.
Japan ended up with 16 reactors with significant cracking because they entrusted maintenance to the companies, rather than sending in inspectors to check. The companies placed profit ahead of safety.
BTW, You have high energy nuclear sources driving through town every day, regardless of your Nuke free status. I've only heard (anecdotally) of a single incidence in a few decades of use.
If the company that I work for were to open a nuke under the current plant maintenance strategy...I'd move...to another state.
If I were responsible for maintenance at a nuclear site, and had a supportive management, I'd have my family living next door.
Bearing in mind that we can make coal fired electricity for less than 3c/kWhr (check you bill forwhat you pay), I believe that we should have Government run/controlled nukes (otherwise how can you be sure of weapons production), with corporate owned shoulder and peaking plant competing for those markets.
Spiff
I have the power
Goreripper said:
What about Three Mile Island? Not that I know much about it, but when nuclear accidents are mentioned, it's always that and Chernobyl.
"The China Syndrome" is an awesome movie, btw. Released right when Three Mile Island happened, which is probably some of the best timing for a movie ever, along with "Wag the Dog".
Goreripper
Metal as fuck
Three Mile Island was a partial meltdown of one of the reactors caused by a mechanical fault in a part of the plant not associated with power generation. No deaths or injuries resulted from it and the resultant pollution was minimal. In fact, despite the core of the reactor actually melting, the amount of radioactive gases released in the accident was so small that 2 million people who lived in the vicinity of the plant received less exposure to radiation than they would have got from the average chest X-ray. It gets mentioned a lot because it was the first and most significant accident to occur in US nuclear power history and caused sweeping changes to safety regulations and emergency response. Again, this happened in 1978 and nothing like it has happened since.
Note: If the containment walls had been breached by the meltdown, it would have made Chernobyl look like a walk in the park. There ARE serious dangers associated with nuclear power, that can't be denied.
Note: If the containment walls had been breached by the meltdown, it would have made Chernobyl look like a walk in the park. There ARE serious dangers associated with nuclear power, that can't be denied.
salty
Member
Whyalla, South Australia. Thats where they should build one.
That's where I'm from originally, and they always talk about how the city will be dead in 15 years because BHP/OneSteel/BlueScope whatever the fuck it's called now will be gone before too long. Having a power station there would be a huge boost for regional South Australia. Then ETSA at Pt Augusta would have some competition!
That's where I'm from originally, and they always talk about how the city will be dead in 15 years because BHP/OneSteel/BlueScope whatever the fuck it's called now will be gone before too long. Having a power station there would be a huge boost for regional South Australia. Then ETSA at Pt Augusta would have some competition!
Southy
Proud Brisbane Metaller
Southy,
when I was in second year university, Iwas sitting next to a girl at dinner time, and we were chatting and what not about where we were from.
She said "Lithgow"
I said "Where's that ?"
She said "Well it's not the arsehole of the Universe, but it's pretty close...that's Wallerawang". and wouldn't further converse.
4 years later, I lived in Lithgow. 3 years after that, got transferred to Wallerawang.
when I was in second year university, Iwas sitting next to a girl at dinner time, and we were chatting and what not about where we were from.
She said "Lithgow"
I said "Where's that ?"
She said "Well it's not the arsehole of the Universe, but it's pretty close...that's Wallerawang". and wouldn't further converse.
4 years later, I lived in Lithgow. 3 years after that, got transferred to Wallerawang.
Winmar, the Earth recieves 1.4KW (about the average bar heater) per square metre, and only then during the daylight hours.
Currently solar cells are arpound 20% efficient, so to generate the instantaneous power that the stations I work at would require 8 million square metres of land (close to 3km x 3km, assuming no gaps for access and whatever).
it would require double that, and some sort of storage scheme (which we don't have as yet) to supply for 24 hours.
The stations that I work at comprise almost 20% of NSW generation (not counting the Snowies)
Currently solar cells are arpound 20% efficient, so to generate the instantaneous power that the stations I work at would require 8 million square metres of land (close to 3km x 3km, assuming no gaps for access and whatever).
it would require double that, and some sort of storage scheme (which we don't have as yet) to supply for 24 hours.
The stations that I work at comprise almost 20% of NSW generation (not counting the Snowies)
Goreripper
Metal as fuck
Solar power is awesome for heating your hot water, and a small array can keep a village like White Cliffs going, but it's unfeasible as a real alternative power source. Nuclear's the only one.
The solar chimney is a great idea, as are solwr hot water (not the type that we normally see down here), and passive solar heating of houses.
Photovoltaics on roofs should be heavily subsidised, as it is actually extending the useful life of the transmission system by generating some electricity, at or near the point of use, during the peak daytime periods.
At present, owners pay a fortune, and get SFA comparitively.
Photovoltaics on roofs should be heavily subsidised, as it is actually extending the useful life of the transmission system by generating some electricity, at or near the point of use, during the peak daytime periods.
At present, owners pay a fortune, and get SFA comparitively.
Southy
Proud Brisbane Metaller
KoichCPA
Banned
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