May 1986

NUCLEAR SUNSET

On Monday morning we heard, with a certain amount of sadness, the news that the inevitable had at last occurred. The 'core-meltdown' of a nuclear-electric plant located at Chernobyl, in the Ukraine. While very few details have been released at the time of this writing, there is little doubt that the disaster involved loss of life and may well render a considerable area of inhabited land untenable for for many years. (It may also seriously pollute the entire water supply of the city of Kiev.

Apparently the meltdown occurred on Sunday, April, 27, which may go down in history as the day the sun finally set on world hopes for cheap and plentiful energy from nuclear-electric generating plants. The glowing promises that attended the first planning of such plants have faded into repeated disillusionment as the tremendous costs, the years of waiting for completion, while millions upon millions of dollars in interest charges piled up without any return, the many unforseen hazards and uncertainties of such plants became more and more evident.

Unfortunately, the major problems, hazards and limitations were learned slowly and only after many billions of dollars had already been invested in the development of commercial power plants.

A controversy arose which caused an almost complete polarization of human opinion in the U.S. Among those who were interested at all, there were few who were neutral. Almost all were either pro-nuclear or anti-nuclear, and both sides were prone to defend their positions with considerable vigor, though not always with equal knowledge or understanding.

The strongest advocates of nuclear energy were, and are, of course, those for whom it is a profession and a livelyhood, and those who have a financial investment therein. To them, the benefits are ever-present, while the hazards and the future problems and costs are usually only theoretical or statistical, and can be worried about when, and if, they occur. One of the least realized hazards of nuclear energy is therefore, that those who are in the profession, and in the best position to become aware of the hazards involved, are, of all people, the least likely to talk about them, while those who are not in the profession, can always be accused of ignorance and unjustified fears!

In the beginning, the advantages claimed for nuclear generation of electricity were, 1. It would be cheaper than that generated by burning coal or oil. (It is now estimated that, in the end, it may cost twice or even three times as much.) 2. It would be environmentally clean. No smokestacks pouring out soot or sulphur compounds. ( The reactor at Chernobyl is pouring out radioactive vapor which is a cause of concern in five countries, and even the problem of disposal of normal reactor waste has not yet been solved!) 3. They would be useable long after the world supply of oil and coal had been exhausted. (It is now universally recognized and admitted that the maximum safe and productive life of any nuclear generating plant, built according to any plans now known to exist, can not be more than 35 years. At the end of that time the entire plant will have to be disassembled and most of its parts buried in the earth, or disposed of in some other way which has not yet been decided upon!)

Thus the bright hopes in which the nuclear industry was born, have faded in the harsh light of reality, but it is not likely that mankind will long be deterred in its quest for the energy it requires.

(signed Daniel W. Fry)

 

(hand-written) We do have a tape telling of the energies available on our planet NOW!!  It is called “The Many Varieties of Energy.”  See your book list.

 

(unless noted, everything on the page below was hand-written)

Cleona’s Corner – for the family of Understanding, MAY 1986