[Peace-discuss] Nuclear power? "Dispelling" myths at Friday forum

[Paul Mueth]

--- On Thu, 2/12/09, Morton K. Brussel <brussel at illinois.edu> wrote:

> From: Morton K. Brussel <brussel at illinois.edu>
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Nuclear power? "Dispelling" myths at Friday forum
> To: "Paul Mueth" <paulmueth at yahoo.com>
> Cc: "peace discuss" <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
> Date: Thursday, February 12, 2009, 6:15 PM
> Come to the talk, with Lovins' arguments in hand, to
> challenge Rusic if he advocates nuclear (which probably he
> will). What can you lose, --but your self confidence?

Mort, you have been arguing on this list too long, this last line is snide .. .

> 
> From Lovins:
> 
> …That’s all false. In fact, nuclear power is continuing
> its decades-long collapse in the
> global marketplace because it’s grossly uncompetitive,
> unneeded, and obsolete—so hopelessly
> uneconomic that one needn’t debate whether it’s clean
> and safe; it weakens electric reliability
> and national security; and it worsens climate change
> compared with devoting the same money
> and time to more effective options.
> Yet the more decisively nuclear power is humbled by swifter
> and cheaper rivals, the more
> zealously its advocates claim it has no serious
> competitors.…
> 
> I think this is nonsense, although the economic aspects,
> which he emphasizes, are debatable. I wonder why China,
> India, Finland and others,  even Germany now, not to mention
> France, are planning, building, or considering new nuclear
> plants. 

For all that I admire in France, they do have a very strong statist tendencies, that obscure real costs, and continue programs for non-economic reasons, force de frappe, for instance


this is from the Evanston based  Nuclear Information and Resource Service 
nirs.org
December 2008: Nuclear Power in France: Beyond the Myth, PDF a new report by Mycle Schneider Consulting for Greens/EFA in the European Parliament, offers a thorough examination of the French nuclear power industry, noting both its strengths and some surprising weaknesses.... Another major new report on the French nuclear industry, from WISE-Paris, titled Nuclear Power, the Great Illusion - Promises, Setbacks and Threats, is available here. Both reports will be very useful for everyone countering the argument that the French nuclear power program is somehow a great success.

cheers,   . . malgre tout