China's Energy Future: Less Solar and Wind, More Nuclear and Hydro

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Tuesday March 13, 2012 · 5:36 PM PDT

2012/03/13 · 17:36

While most of the energy-related news last week focused on the anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami — and the accident at Japan's Fukushima-1 nuclear plant that was a result of this natural disaster — across the Sea of Japan, China announced plans for the future: accelerate nuclear, while putting the breaks on solar and wind.

China will accelerate the use of new-energy sources such as nuclear energy and put an end to blind expansion in industries such as solar energy and wind power in 2012, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says in a government report published on March 5.

(source)
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Poll

95 votes Show Results

China's new energy policy is ...

95 votes Vote Now!

China's new energy policy is ...

the yin

2 votes

the yang

3 votes

say what?

3 votes

No Nukes!

15 votes

Go Nukes!

51 votes

Solartopia!

2 votes

the answer is blow'n in the wind

3 votes

forget policy, this poll is just silly

16 votes

Medical Journal: Sloppy Statistics Kills 14,000 People

bryfry

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Tuesday December 20, 2011 · 9:45 PM PST

2011/12/20 · 21:45

This short diary is a quick update to some "breaking news" from earlier this week, namely an earlier report about a study from the lunatic fringe of respectable science.

The particular diary mentioned above was published before the paper was actually released and was based on a press release by the researchers. Today, the paper officially went public, and already the criticism has begun to rain in.

For example, the blogs at Scientific American have already hit on this paper with a critique that is not very flattering:

"Researchers Trumpet Another Flawed Fukushima Death Study"

The quotes in this diary are taken from this paper.

bryfry

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Friday November 11, 2011 · 11:37 AM PST

2011/11/11 · 11:37

This will be a quick throwaway diary to update some of the latest news in nuclear safety. Those who are prone to follow such things will recall that a magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred on August 23 of this year. It was located in the vicinity (about 11 miles) of the North Anna Nuclear Power Plant in Louisa County, Virginia. This earthquake was felt along the East Coast of the United States as far away as New York City. It was responsible for the National Park Service closing the Washington Monument in D.C. to assess the damage caused by the event.

The two reactors at North Anna were scrammed as a result of the quake, and they have been off-line ever since. Today, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved the restart of these reactors after an inspection and careful analysis of the findings of this inspection.

bryfry

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday August 25, 2011 · 1:22 PM PDT

2011/08/25 · 13:22

Some myths die hard because so many people mistakenly believe them. Other myths persist, not because they are well known, but because they are obstinately repeated by a handful of people who strongly want to believe them.

In this diary, I'm going to address the myth that there was a scram failure during the accident at Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant in March 1979. That is, the myth claims that the nuclear chain reaction was not stopped within seconds of the initiation of the accident.

This is going to be a quick diary. I have already addressed the false claims several times in the comments of this website. Nevertheless, since this myth keeps reappearing over and over—most recently in the past week—I felt that the solid facts that debunk this particular lie deserve their own diary.

Poll

43 votes Show Results

Myth Busted?

43 votes Vote Now!

Myth Busted?

Yes

38 votes

3 votes

I didn't understand

2 votes

Scalable, Practical Energy?

bryfry

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday June 15, 2009 · 6:47 PM PDT

2009/06/15 · 18:47

We've all heard the claim: "commercial reactors only come in one size -- extra-large."

At a Washington press conference last week, an old name in nuclear technology hammered yet another nail in the coffin of this misconception.

B&W introduces scalable, practical nuclear energy

The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W) plans to deploy a North American-manufactured, scalable nuclear reactor using its unique history of more than 50 years of continuous reactor engineering and manufacturing. The B&W mPower reactor design is a passively safe [nuclear reactor, which] would provide customers with practical power increments of 125 MWe to meet local energy needs within power grid and plant site constraints.

As the New York Times noted, B&W touts this new technology as a "potential game changer for the global nuclear market."

Poll

26 votes Show Results

Nuclear reactors only come in ...

One size: extra-large

Two sizes: large and extra-large

Super-size mine, please

The guy behind the counter told me that it was the best deal

... If you like cola and fries, but I don't want all of that sugary soda with my nuclear reactor

Tough ... everybody loves soft drinks and french fries, didn't you know? That's why they super-size their meals

Hmm ... super-sized meals always come with french fries. Could the French have something to do with extra-large reactors?

The French/German EPR nuclear reactor generates 1600 MWe -- definitely an "extra-large"

Babcock and Wilcox is not a French company, so that's why they are not marketing a super-size reactor

They probably prefer "freedom fries" anyway

That whole "freedom fries" thing was stupid and an embarrassment for the country

Nuclear reactors are like pizzas; they can come in multiple sizes: small, medium, and large. Pick the size that fits the application

If they are like pizzas, will the Italians soon be trying to market a design in the US?

If they do, I hope that it doesn't come with anchovies

26 votes Vote Now!

Nuclear reactors only come in ...

One size: extra-large

0 votes

Two sizes: large and extra-large

0 votes

Super-size mine, please

2 votes

The guy behind the counter told me that it was the best deal

0 votes

... If you like cola and fries, but I don't want all of that sugary soda with my nuclear reactor

1 vote

Tough ... everybody loves soft drinks and french fries, didn't you know? That's why they super-size their meals

1 vote

Hmm ... super-sized meals always come with french fries. Could the French have something to do with extra-large reactors?

0 votes

The French/German EPR nuclear reactor generates 1600 MWe -- definitely an "extra-large"

1 vote

Babcock and Wilcox is not a French company, so that's why they are not marketing a super-size reactor

1 vote

They probably prefer "freedom fries" anyway

1 vote

That whole "freedom fries" thing was stupid and an embarrassment for the country

2 votes

Nuclear reactors are like pizzas; they can come in multiple sizes: small, medium, and large. Pick the size that fits the application

13 votes

If they are like pizzas, will the Italians soon be trying to market a design in the US?

0 votes

If they do, I hope that it doesn't come with anchovies

4 votes

How has nuclear reactor safety improved?

bryfry

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday August 12, 2008 · 10:39 AM PDT

2008/08/12 · 10:39

This started off as a reply to a recent comment in another diary, but it became so long, that I thought that it was better served as its own diary entry. The answer is after the fold.

bryfry

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday November 21, 2007 · 12:15 PM PST

2007/11/21 · 12:15

And you must have been a good little state, because you have received something much better than a lump of coal.

Santa came a month early this year in the form of an Early Site Permit (ESP) for the North Anna Power Station. Proponents of clean energy and opponents of coal and mountain-top removal should be celebrating this announcement. This is the first step in bringing more clean energy (Virginia gets approximately 38% of it's electricity from nuclear, compared with about 47% from coal) to the state.

Poll

34 votes Show Results

New Nuclear in Virginia?

Yes!

No way!

I need to know more.

Virginia? Where is that? It's one of those suburbs of DC, right?

You mean that there really is no Santa Claus?

Of course, there's a Santa Claus, and he has a reindeer named Rudolph.

If we could harness the power of Rudolph's nose, we would not need a new nuclear power plant.

Forget the nose! Those reindeer can fly! We need to harness that technology.

If we could all fly like reindeer, we would not need automobiles, including the fantastic hydrogen hypercar.

Personally, I'm holding out for my very own flying hypercar as promised by Popular Mechanics over 50 years ago.

Me too, but I don't care whether the flying car runs off of hydrogen or not.

Back to the Future had a flying car that ran off of garbage.

I hope that Santa Claus will bring me a Mr. Fusion for Christmas.

34 votes Vote Now!

New Nuclear in Virginia?

Yes!

24 votes

No way!

4 votes

I need to know more.

4 votes

Virginia? Where is that? It's one of those suburbs of DC, right?

1 vote

You mean that there really is no Santa Claus?

0 votes

Of course, there's a Santa Claus, and he has a reindeer named Rudolph.

0 votes

If we could harness the power of Rudolph's nose, we would not need a new nuclear power plant.

0 votes

Forget the nose! Those reindeer can fly! We need to harness that technology.

0 votes

If we could all fly like reindeer, we would not need automobiles, including the fantastic hydrogen hypercar.

0 votes

Personally, I'm holding out for my very own flying hypercar as promised by Popular Mechanics over 50 years ago.

0 votes

Me too, but I don't care whether the flying car runs off of hydrogen or not.

0 votes

Back to the Future had a flying car that ran off of garbage.

0 votes

I hope that Santa Claus will bring me a Mr. Fusion for Christmas.

1 vote

Should Democrats Embrace Nuclear Energy?

bryfry

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday September 17, 2007 · 12:28 PM PDT

2007/09/17 · 12:28

An article this week in the Boston Globe answers this question with a definite yes, or at least, a definite oui.

Just say 'oui' to nuclear power

While global warming is positioned to be a hot issue in the 2008 presidential election, the candidates must face directly the one large-scale means of providing carbon-free electric power: nuclear energy. Candidates in both parties should swallow hard and confess that the United States must take steps that they find difficult. For Democrats, that means acknowledging that we need more nuclear power and that we must do something with the waste. ...

So why do we need more nuclear power?

Poll

131 votes Show Results

Nuclear Energy - To embrace or not to embrace?

131 votes Vote Now!

Nuclear Energy - To embrace or not to embrace?

89 votes

33 votes

Sorry, I don't speak French.

4 votes

Sorry, I'm a Republican, and I don't like the French.

5 votes

Thoughts About a Campaigner Against Nuclear Power

bryfry

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday August 27, 2007 · 12:50 PM PDT

2007/08/27 · 12:50

Dr. John W. Gofman passed away this month.

Dr. John W. Gofman, a nuclear chemist and doctor who in the 1960s heightened public concerns about exposure to low-level radiation and became a leading voice against commercial nuclear power, died on Aug. 15 at his home in San Francisco. He was 88.

And so, another footnote of history passes into oblivion.

Sigh ...

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China's Energy Future: Less Solar and Wind, More Nuclear and Hydro

Medical Journal: Sloppy Statistics Kills 14,000 People

Regulation at Work: NRC Approves Restart of North Anna Reactors

Myth-Busting: The "Failed Scram" at Three Mile Island

Scalable, Practical Energy?

How has nuclear reactor safety improved?

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

Should Democrats Embrace Nuclear Energy?

Thoughts About a Campaigner Against Nuclear Power