Sub's Alternative Energy Thread

[Kung Wu]

Another little known fact is that coal ash is actually MORE radioactive than nuclear waste. It is a good thing we've never had a coal ash disaster, right? If that was nuclear power, heads would have rolled.

False.

people fear nuclear reactors, largely because they really don't understand them. They feel that terrorists could make bombs out of them, not knowing that an aircraft could fly into a nuclear power plant without causing problems. They fear an Hollywood-esque explosion, not knowing that a nuclear reactor simply cannot go critical like a bomb.

A jetliner smacking a reactor can most likely interrupt the cooling system causing a meltdown. A meltdown is not nearly the same as going critical but can absolutely cause tremendous explosions (non nuclear) and leak dangerous levels of radiation into the atmosphere. Hiroshima? No. Grain elevatoresque explosion with nasty doses of radiation? Yes.

Those nitpicks aside, I agree we should be going nuclear.

[CBB_Fan]

False.

A jetliner smacking a reactor can most likely interrupt the cooling system causing a meltdown. A meltdown is not nearly the same as going critical but can absolutely cause tremendous explosions (non nuclear) and leak dangerous levels of radiation into the atmosphere. Hiroshima? No. Grain elevatoresque explosion with nasty doses of radiation? Yes.

Those nitpicks aside, I agree we should be going nuclear.

I was looking at this article, though I cannot find the source where I originally got that information from. For the coal ash, I was going off the information here, though after re-reading it is less that coal ash is actually more radioactive and more that people living near coal plants have higher levels of radiation (that was a combination ofskim reading and a horribly misleading title).

[Kung Wu]

I was looking at this article, though I cannot find the source where I originally got that information from. For the coal ash, I was going off the information here, though after re-reading it is less that coal ash is actually more radioactive and more that people living near coal plants have higher levels of radiation (that was a combination ofskim reading and a horribly misleading title).

Yeah Scientific American got shamed for making that claim and had to correct it. But it was too late, the blogosphere ran with it.

[1979Shocker]

The only bad thing about nuclear power plants is that they use nuclear fission which produces radioactive waste products.

The future is in developing nuclear fusion. Here are some articles.

Lockheed Martin Outlines Plans for Nuclear Fusion Reactor

Lockheed Martin caused quite a stir in the nuclear energy industry as it announced plans to begin work on a nuclear fusion reactor. Speaking at the recent Google “Solve for X” conference on February 7, Charles Chase of Lockheed’s “Skunk Works” said that a prototype 100-megawatt nuclear fusion machine will be tested in 2017, and that a fully operational machine should be grid-ready ten years from now.

An update on the ITER nuclear fusion project

Design approval has been given for a crucial reactor component of the ITER nuclear fusion project, which is currently under construction in France and expected to begin generating power in 2022.

Massive laser at National Ignition Facility takes baby step toward fusion

It’s one small step for energy -- and one giant blast for lasers.

Lawrence Livermore’s National Ignition Facility announced Tuesday a successful test of its ultrapowerful laser system, which melds 192 laser beams into a single incredible burst of energy. On Aug. 13, the facility was activated for 14 billionths of a second and aimed at a tiny capsule of fuel. The result: approximately 350 trillion watts of power -- hundreds of times more than the entire United States consumes at any given instant.

[CBB_Fan]

The only bad thing about nuclear power plants is that they use nuclear fission which produces radioactive waste products.

The future is in developing nuclear fusion. Here are some articles.

Lockheed Martin Outlines Plans for Nuclear Fusion Reactor

An update on the ITER nuclear fusion project

Massive laser at National Ignition Facility takes baby step toward fusion

Don't forget about thorium reactors. Not quite as nice as fusion would be, but probably a better design than today's (or I should say, 1974s) fission reactors.

[kcshocker11]

http://news.yahoo.com/study-temperatures-off-charts-around-2047-175958794.html

[WuDrWu]

http://news.yahoo.com/study-temperat...175958794.html

Run for your lives!!!!!!!!!!

[MoValley John]

http://news.yahoo.com/study-temperat...175958794.html

I say look at what this does for us. The heck with Jamaica, Wichita, KC, Omaha and Des Moines are the new resort cities in the world. 2040 can't get here soon enough, thanks, KC!!!

[Kung Wu]

I say look at what this does for us. The heck with Jamaica, Wichita, KC, Omaha and Des Moines are the new resort cities in the world. 2040 can't get here soon enough, thanks, KC!!!

We'll be able to charge for ice! Let's start acquiring exclusive ice making rights nationally! It'll make Soros and Buffett look small time!

[SB Shock]

http://news.yahoo.com/study-temperat...175958794.html

Well since Obama said he won't negotiate with republicans until hell freezes over I suspect the two will offset each other and it will be the status quo.

[SubGod22]

They continue to publish reports like that and yet, nothing drastic has happened with the temps.

I'm not worried.

[kcshocker11]

They continue to publish reports like that and yet, nothing drastic has happened with the temps.

I'm not worried.

Im not worried I'll be dead, you should be

[SubGod22]

When I see any actual evidence that we're screwing up the planet I'll worry. So far, nothing.

[RoyalShock]

So we're supposed to believe they've fixed the computer models that were off by 300% from 1980 to 2010?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2420783/Worlds-climate-scientists-confess-Global-warming-just-QUARTER-thought--computers-got-effects-greenhouse-gases-wrong.html

[SubGod22]

I like how they blame the computers. The computers can only compute what they're told. The exagerations didn't come from their PCs.