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Gary Snyder: James Lovelock's arguments for nuclear power 'demented'
Nuclear power is too risky |
Kit Stolz |
23 May 2007 |
Gristmill |
| This past weekend the Ojai Poetry Festival featured the great American poet Gary Snyder, who read to a large crowd of listeners mostly from work written this century, especially his 2004 book of haibun called Danger on Peaks. (Haibun, we learned, is a mix of prose and haiku: Japanese professor Nobuyaki Yuasa has described it as having a relationship "like that between the moon and the earth: each makes the other more beautiful.') Snyder read poems linking the destr ... |
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| Topics: climate, energy, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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Are Republican presidential candidates taking global warming seriously?
Brownback's plan is not promising |
David Roberts |
23 May 2007 |
Gristmill |
| He hasn't released a detailed plan yet, but Republican presidential contender Sam Brownback gave a speech yesterday to the Set America Free coalition that outlined his thoughts on energy policy. (There's more info in this Greenwire story, but it's subscription only.) Republican candidates haven't talked about climate and energy as much as their Dem counterparts, but Brownback's comments are more or less representative. Consider this a critique, then, of mainstream Re ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, coal, elections, energy, ethanol, greenhouse-gas emissions, nuclear power, oil, politics (all these topics) |
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Another attempt to push nukes
Using high gas prices to push for a rebirth |
Jon Rynn |
23 May 2007 |
Gristmill |
| In today's New York Times, President Gerald Ford's energy adviser, in an article entitled 'How to Win the Energy War,' tries to use higher gas prices and oil dependence as an excuse to build more nuclear reactors: The other major way to wean us from oil is to resume construction of nuclear power plants. Nuclear energy is the cleanest and best option for America's electric power supply, yet it has been stalled by decades of unproductive debate. Our current commercial nucle ... |
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| Topics: energy, nuclear power, oil, politics (all these topics) |
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Story of the day: Nukes and global warming
The two don't mix well |
Joseph Romm |
21 May 2007 |
Gristmill |
| This story deserves singling out because it is on an important but too-neglected subject -- the connection between energy and water. 'Climate change puts nuclear energy into hot water,' from the International Herald Tribune. Key point: Nuclear power 'requires great amounts of cool water to keep reactors operating at safe temperatures. That is worrying if the rivers and reservoirs which many power plants rely on for water are hot or depleted because of steadily rising ai ... |
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| Topics: desertification, energy, nuclear power, water crisis (all these topics) |
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Profiles in dishonesty
Patrick Moore proves to be -- gasp -- a nuclear shill |
John McGrath |
17 May 2007 |
Gristmill |
| We anti-nuclear folks are frequently accused of closed-mindedness. Like, you know, Chernobyl is so 1980s. Get with the here and now, man.So I was interested to see how nuclear shill extraordinaire Patrick Moore would react to the news that the Canadian oil industry is increasingly interested in geothermal power as an alternative to nuclear in the heat-starved tar sands developments. The heat produced by obviously-feasible technology would be a perfect fit, and if those ... |
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| Topics: energy, nuclear power, oil (all these topics) |
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When is recycling not recycling?
When it's the Bush administration talking about Hanford |
Sarah K. Burkhalter |
04 May 2007 |
Gristmill |
| The following is a guest post from Natalie Troyer, publications and volunteer coordinator at Heart of America Northwest. ----- Sheryl Crow -- who was joking, people -- recently suggested that folks use 'only one square [of toilet paper] per restroom visit, except, of course, on those pesky occasions where two to three could be required.' A nice, but impractical, proposal -- much like the Department of Energy's imprudent pitch to 'recycle' nuclear waste ... |
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| Topics: energy, nuclear power, waste (all these topics) |
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Something for everyone in the nuclear debate
A good argument |
John McGrath |
03 May 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Via Brad Plumer, this might be the most honest, good-faith argument about nuclear power I've read in the last, oh, year or so. You can read Max Schulz's pro-nuclear argument here, and then read the anti-nuclear side by Bruce Smith and Arjun Makhijani. No surprise, I come down on the anti-nuclear side myself, but at least Schulz doesn't simply ignore or refuse to acknowledge the real risks of nuclear power (waste, proliferation, costs). And in his reply at the bottom ... |
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| Topics: climate, energy, greenhouse-gas emissions, nuclear power, politics, wind power (all these topics) |
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Nuclear shillery and the reporters who buy it
Maddening |
David Roberts |
03 Apr 2007 |
Gristmill |
| I'm way, way, waaay behind on this one, but I nonetheless want to draw your attention to two pieces on the massive, ongoing PR push from the nuclear industry. The first is an editorial in the Columbia Journalism Review on the maddening phenomenon of mainstream news reporters accepting the claims of paid shills (i.e., Patrick Moore and Christie Todd Whitman) at face value, without making clear their relationship to the nuclear industry. The second is a more extensi ... |
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| Topics: energy, lying liars, nuclear power, politics (all these topics) |
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Then There's the Short Term
Long-term radiation risks lower than some daily hazards, study finds |
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03 Apr 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Then There's the Short Term Long-term radiation risks lower than some daily hazards, study finds Living in fear of a nuclear meltdown? Now you can relax! A new study says the long-term risks faced by survivors of two of the world's most notorious nuclear episodes -- the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the 1945 bombings of Japan -- are lower than the risks caused by urban air pollution, obesity, and smoking. ... |
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| Topics: energy, green living, health, news, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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Wasserman gets it right
But does he have to use the word 'solartopia'? |
David Roberts |
29 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| This short piece from Harvey Wasserman gets pretty much everything right -- and by "right" I mean, "in agreement with me." My only quibble is that he spends too much time bashing nukes, and bashing them for the wrong reasons (wrong effective-messaging-wise, not necessarily substance-wise). I'd prefer he bash them because they're more expensive and less flexible than R&E, not for the well-hashed-over waste issue. But that's a quibble. Here's t ... |
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| Topics: Congress, energy, nuclear power, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics) |
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Why the sloppy love for nuclear?
Just doesn't (or shouldn't) make sense for conservatives |
John McGrath |
22 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| During his marathon live-blogging yesterday, David "Boss-man" Roberts wrote about the GOP love of nuclear power: 'Why are Republicans obsessed with this? It's mystifying. Don't they have anything else to talk about?' Well, they love clean coal too. The question to me has always been why alleged conservatives have so much time for nuclear when it doesn't align with one of their cherished principles: If "big-government nanny-state market interference&quo ... |
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| Topics: energy, nuclear power, politics (all these topics) |
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Is biofuel gasification just hot air?
Or a new way forward? |
Erik Hoffner |
20 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| File this under possibly hopeful news: Researchers at Purdue are calling an approach that gasifies biomass to make liquid fuels a "hybrid hydrogen-carbon process," or H2CAR. Read the article for the straight scoop, but it's basically adding hydrogen to biomass from a "carbon-free" energy source (solar? wind? nukes?), via gasification. The process would be more efficient than current biofuel production because it'd suppress the formation of carbon ... |
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| Topics: biofuels, energy, hybrids, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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Blue Monday
Russia's going nuclear, the U.S. is going nowhere, and Cambodia's going wild |
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19 Mar 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Blue Monday Russia's going nuclear, the U.S. is going nowhere, and Cambodia's going wild We hope you had a chance to relax this weekend, to cast aside your cares and spend hours soaking in the jasmine-scented bubble bath of life. Because now it's back to the putrid mudbath of reality. From Russia comes news that the country is planning to build two nuclear reactors a year through 20 ... |
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| Topics: Cambodia, climate, energy, G8, news, nuclear power, Russia, wildlife (all these topics) |
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Journalism, wonkery, advocacy, nuclear power, and the kitchen sink
Join me for some navel gazing! |
David Roberts |
14 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| There is sometimes a fine line between opposing something and not supporting it; between believing that something should be advocated against and believing it should not be advocated for; between believing that something is bad and believing that there are several better options. Two examples come to mind. One is adaptation, as opposed to mitigation, in response to climate change. (Much more on that soon.) The other is nuclear power. Readers of this blog probably th ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation, energy, energy efficiency, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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Split over nuclear versus renewables threatens EU global warming pact
Spring summit underway |
Robert Delfs |
09 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| From an article in the Guardian: Divisions over nuclear power and renewable energy threatened to derail the EU's campaign to assume a global leadership role in the fight against climate change at the bloc's spring summit which began last night. [...] But France, backed by several east European countries, insisted carbon-free nuclear power be included within the EU energy mix and rejected [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel's proposal to make a 20 percent target for ... |
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| Topics: Angela Merkel, climate, energy, international politics, nuclear power, politics, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Is nuclear power green?
CSM investigates |
David Roberts |
07 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Mark Clayton at the Christian Science Monitor looks into it. This describes my position quite well: But for those energy experts who have done life-cycle analysis of nuclear power, the big concern is that policymakers may be misled into believing that just because nuclear CO2 emissions are low, the cost of nuclear as an option to address climate change would be a bargain. Better, they say, to take the huge amounts of money needed for nuclear plants and use it ... |
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| Topics: Amory Lovins, climate, climate change mitigation, energy, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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One if By Land, Zilch if By Air
New U.S. nuclear-security policy draws fire from critics |
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31 Jan 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| One if By Land, Zilch if By Air New U.S. nuclear-security policy draws fire from critics The safe, clean Nuclear Regulatory Commission has revised its security policy, drawing criticism from members of Congress and others. The new policy addresses terror attacks by land, water, and computer, but leaves air defenses to the military. Instead of adapting suggested measures including no-fly zones, protective cages, and anti-aircraft guns on ... |
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| Topics: news, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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Gloom and Doom With a Sense of Doomed-er
Doomsday Clock ticks to 11:55 p.m., thanks in part to climate change |
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18 Jan 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Gloom and Doom With a Sense of Doomed-er Doomsday Clock ticks to 11:55 p.m., thanks in part to climate change Cue ominous music: We're edging closer to annihilation, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists' famed Doomsday Clock -- a symbolic measurement of how close civilization stands to ultra-mega-doom, or "midnight." Yesterday, the group pushed its famed ticker two minutes forward to 11:55 p.m., adding clim ... |
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| Topics: climate, news, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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Terry Tamminen: Nuclear energy and China's development
China got troubles |
David Roberts |
14 Jan 2007 |
Gristmill |
| DR: Bush's token response to global warming is to argue for clean coal and nuclear power. To the extent he's involved in any international discussion, it's the Pacific pact, a trade deal with these emerging markets for old coal and nuclear technology. TT: Bush jumps in a long list of presidents of both parties who have not been able to deal with the [nuclear] waste issue in any meaningful fashion. And talk about a subsidized industry! Once upon a time we t ... |
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| Topics: books, business, interview, nuclear power, oil, politics, Terry Tamminen, United States (all these topics) |
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We'll Be In the Fallout Shelter
Regional nuclear war could create catastrophic global cooling, say scientists |
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13 Dec 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| We'll Be In the Fallout Shelter Regional nuclear war could create catastrophic global cooling, say scientists Not fully convinced that a nuclear war would suck? Perhaps this will do the trick: Scientists are reviving the "nuclear winter" fears of the 1980s, portending that even a small, regional nuke kerfuffle could trigger a devastating global cooling. Advanced computer models show that thick clouds from urban fires ... |
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| Topics: climate, news, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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This Blurb Brought to You By 'Your Company Name Here'
Utah basketball arena renamed for nuclear-waste corporation |
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11 Dec 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| This Blurb Brought to You By "Your Company Name Here" Utah basketball arena renamed for nuclear-waste corporation Here in Seattle, home of Qwest and Safeco fields, we know well how corporations have rushed the pro-sports playing field. But our McMonikers are nothing next to Utah's latest rechristening: The Salt Lake City stadium that's home to the Utah Jazz, formerly the Delta Center, is now known a ... |
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| Topics: news, nuclear power, outdoor recreation, Utah (all these topics) |
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We Mine the World
Nuclear-hungry nations eye Africa's uranium deposits |
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06 Dec 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| We Mine the World Nuclear-hungry nations eye Africa's uranium deposits In the 1980s, western nations tried to help Africa by assembling celebs to croon about its woes. Today we see how silly that is, so we're back to extracting resources instead. It's so much more direct, and with energy consumption rising, it will help for a long time! As whispers of a nuclear renaissance grow into a dull roar, for insta ... |
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| Topics: mining and drilling, Namibia, news, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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In Sickness and in Wealth
Bush administration apparently tried to limit payments to ailing nuclear workers |
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05 Dec 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| In Sickness and in Wealth Bush administration apparently tried to limit payments to ailing nuclear workers You know you're in trouble when America's bubblegum newspaper nails you. According to a memo obtained by USA Today, the Bush administration has tried to avoid compensating Cold War-era nuclear workers sickened by radiation. Under a federal program created in 2000 to pay claims to workers with cancer and other ills, nearly 98,000 ca ... |
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| Topics: news, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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For Every Action, There's a Reactor
Russian spy death linked to nuclear black market, and other glowings-on |
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27 Nov 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| For Every Action, There's a Reactor Russian spy death linked to nuclear black market, and other glowings-on Oh, nuclear -- will it ever cease to amaze? As authorities probe the radiation-poisoning death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, they've suggested a link to Russia's robust radioactive-materials black market. The market's deals, said an International Atomic Ener ... |
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| Topics: Australia, Harry Reid, Nevada, news, nuclear power, Russia, US EPA, waste (all these topics) |
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You Give Hubris a Glad Name
Nuclear fusion gets a boost as 31 countries sign reactor agreement |
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21 Nov 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| You Give Hubris a Glad Name Nuclear fusion gets a boost as 31 countries sign reactor agreement After years of debate, 31 countries have agreed to build the $12.8 billion International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor in southern France. (Ah, "experimental reactor" -- was there ever a more comforting phrase?) Deemed "the victory of the general interest of humanity" by French President Jacques Chirac, the fu ... |
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| Topics: France, news, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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