Mini nuclear plants to power 20,000 homes
This just does not seem wise. I have been haunted by nuclear power in everyone's backyard since Sunday.
My thoughts on this are many, but my knowledge of nuclear science is limited. Maybe someone can help.
With uranium not being a renewable resource, is it possible that uranium can become scarce if we make a massive shift to nuclear power? What would happen to the cost of nuclear energy then?
What are the chances of fallout from a problem on these personal reactors? They state that a Chernobyl-type disaster is impossible but is another sort of disaster likely? The more personal reactors we have located throughout the United States and around the world, the more likely that a disaster would follow. The odds would eventually catch up with themselves.
How much wind, water, or sun power could be created with a $25m investment?
What are the future expenses of a reactor like this?
I would love to see investment in our energy structure, but it seems like putting our eggs in another basket that is not renewable just does not make sense. Wind, Solar, and Water energy needs to be our focus. If nuclear helps with a temporary need, then we should utilize it. But it should not be part of the long-term solution, and we need to start thinking long-term.
We live in a short-term society. Executives are worried about short-term profits. The President thinks in a two-term cycle. Representatives think of getting re-elected in two years. The short-term always needs to be good in order to prosper in the now. Our focus is personal gain in the now at the expense of the future. That is one of the ailments of our nation. Personally, as a family, we are sacrificing in the short-term as I go back to school in order to prosper in the long term. I think our society should do the same in some areas. There is nothing wrong with sacrifice in the short term for the best outcome in the long term. It is admirable to leave the nation to the next generation better off than you found it.
More energy efficient appliances, utilization of our renewable resources, and creating a non-exportable energy industry is the solution to the problem. That will not happen overnight though the development of an alternative energy industry will help the economy through the creating of jobs while providing future generations with an energy that can last. We need to stop the short-term thinking and begin thinking about how we can hand off a better nation to our grandchildren with clean and home-grown energy. It might mean we have to make sacrifices, but that has been asked of us before as Americans. We can do great things, but only if we stop the short-term thinking.
