Passing Gas in France

Something most folks don't know is that nuclear power plants regularly release "small amounts" of radioactive gas to the environment. The industry and government consider these releases to be harmless. Folks like Dr. Ernest J. Sternglass , former Director of the Department of Radiological Physics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, who also founded the Radiation and Public Health Project believe these emissions to be sources of increased childhood leukemia (in particular).

The general idea is that radioactive strontium (which acts like calcium biochemically) gets into the marrow of bones and directly acts on the blood causing the leukemias. The radioactive cesium and iodine is none too keen on folks either.

( More on Dr. Sternglass and his analysis . . . )

High Emissions Reported at French Nuclear Plant - Reuters - 06 Aug 08

"Radioactive gas emissions from a nuclear plant in southeast France were higher than normal in June and July but there was no threat to public safety, nuclear authorities said on Wednesday. The gas emissions occurred at a waste reprocessing installation at the Tricastin nuclear site in southeastern France, where a separate uranium leak was reported last month."

"The reprocessing unit where the emissions occurred, which is run by Areva subsidiary Socatri, has been shut down for more than a week and would remain closed for the rest of the year, an ASN official said."

Passing Gas in France

Something most folks don't know is that nuclear power plants regularly release "small amounts" of radioactive gas to the environment. The industry and government consider these releases to be harmless. Folks like Dr. Ernest J. Sternglass , former Director of the Department of Radiological Physics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, who also founded the Radiation and Public Health Project believe these emissions to be sources of increased childhood leukemia (in particular).

The general idea is that radioactive strontium (which acts like calcium biochemically) gets into the marrow of bones and directly acts on the blood causing the leukemias. The radioactive cesium and iodine is none too keen on folks either.

( More on Dr. Sternglass and his analysis . . . )

High Emissions Reported at French Nuclear Plant - Reuters - 06 Aug 08

"Radioactive gas emissions from a nuclear plant in southeast France were higher than normal in June and July but there was no threat to public safety, nuclear authorities said on Wednesday. The gas emissions occurred at a waste reprocessing installation at the Tricastin nuclear site in southeastern France, where a separate uranium leak was reported last month."

"The reprocessing unit where the emissions occurred, which is run by Areva subsidiary Socatri, has been shut down for more than a week and would remain closed for the rest of the year, an ASN official said."

UK Carbon Trust Warns Against Rooftop Wind Turbines

Something I and other wind energy folks have been saying for some time now. Rooftop wind turbines just don't make a lot of sense even if they are well intentioned.

Wind Turbine Grant Testing Urged - BBC - 07 Aug 08

"The Carbon Trust study says turbines in urban homes may not generate enough electricity to counter CO2 emissions created by their manufacture and use. It said grant schemes should consider whether the likely carbon savings of small wind turbines are 'reasonable'."

PDFs of the report, "Small Scale Wind Energy", and a technical supplement are available.

And they have a press release, "Carbon Trust Study Clarifies The Potential Of Small-Scale Wind Energy".

UK Carbon Trust Warns Against Rooftop Wind Turbines

Something I and other wind energy folks have been saying for some time now. Rooftop wind turbines just don't make a lot of sense even if they are well intentioned.

Wind Turbine Grant Testing Urged - BBC - 07 Aug 08

"The Carbon Trust study says turbines in urban homes may not generate enough electricity to counter CO2 emissions created by their manufacture and use. It said grant schemes should consider whether the likely carbon savings of small wind turbines are 'reasonable'."

PDFs of the report, "Small Scale Wind Energy", and a technical supplement are available.

And they have a press release, "Carbon Trust Study Clarifies The Potential Of Small-Scale Wind Energy".

More on Good Old Price-Anderson

What does insurance you can't get through normal means cost? This fellow takes a crack at how much taxpayers are effectively paying the nuclear industry for catastrophic insurance. Insurance that the private sector will not provide.

How Much of a Subsidy is the Price-Anderson Nuclear Industry Indemnity Act? - Climate Progress - 07 Aug 08

"The answer is perhaps as high as a hundred billion dollars."

"From 1948 to today, nuclear energy research and development exceeded $70 billion, whereas research and development for renewables was about $10 billion. From 2002 to 2007, fossil fuels received almost $14 billion in electricity-related tax subsides, whereas renewables received under $3 billion.

The Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act caps the liability for claims arising from nuclear incidents. It reduces the insurance nuclear power plants need to buy and requires taxpayers to cover all claims in excess of the cap. The benefit of this indirect subsidy has been estimated at between $237 million and $3.5 billion a year, which suggests that it has been worth many billions of dollars to the industry.

It could be argued that the value is considerably larger than that, since the industry might not have existed at all without it"

More on Good Old Price-Anderson

What does insurance you can't get through normal means cost? This fellow takes a crack at how much taxpayers are effectively paying the nuclear industry for catastrophic insurance. Insurance that the private sector will not provide.

How Much of a Subsidy is the Price-Anderson Nuclear Industry Indemnity Act? - Climate Progress - 07 Aug 08

"The answer is perhaps as high as a hundred billion dollars."

"From 1948 to today, nuclear energy research and development exceeded $70 billion, whereas research and development for renewables was about $10 billion. From 2002 to 2007, fossil fuels received almost $14 billion in electricity-related tax subsides, whereas renewables received under $3 billion.

The Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act caps the liability for claims arising from nuclear incidents. It reduces the insurance nuclear power plants need to buy and requires taxpayers to cover all claims in excess of the cap. The benefit of this indirect subsidy has been estimated at between $237 million and $3.5 billion a year, which suggests that it has been worth many billions of dollars to the industry.

It could be argued that the value is considerably larger than that, since the industry might not have existed at all without it"

Obama Counters McCain Tire Gauge Nonsense

( YouTube clip of Obama speaking at Berea, OH behind the cut . . . )

Obama Counters McCain Tire Gauge Nonsense

( YouTube clip of Obama speaking at Berea, OH behind the cut . . . )