Newly registered Kos member [116859] GrySovCob - who calls himself "The nuclear ninja" - wrote a diary on Tuesday, July 24 that was aimed specifically at me. Entitled I Welcome the Nuclear Discussion, he begins with:
This started as a response to a diary entry, Joy Busey's take on the Japanese Earthquake, but I felt it was long enough to warrant being my first diary on DKos.
Perhaps I should be flattered that the pro-nuclear PR machine has taken notice of my opposition to their cash cow. I had mentioned in my diary that "there are a handful of pro-nuclear members of DKos who would very much like to stifle discussion" of the problems with nuclear power, which is true. A favorite tactic of these rudies is to tell participants to STFU - Shut The Fuck Up - whenever they express opposition to the cash cow. GrySovCob, however, says he is different.
I missed the diary when it was up, as I was busy reading the new Harry Potter book while it was here with my granddaughter, and didn't have much time. So this diary will have to serve as my response to being called out.
GrySovCob thinks the waste disposal issue is adequately addressed by a secure-for-10K years disposal site we do not have, after 20 years and projected cost of $5 trillion dollars, and suggests we "simply" recycle current waste in fast breeders - those are heavy "plutonium economy" or thorium reactors, btw - while we're waiting on an adequately secure-for-10K years disposal site. Of course, that requires reprocessing sites, and we don't have fuel reprocessing sites in this country because the few that we DID have - including the government facilities still on the Superfund list today - proved not just filthy, but deadly as well (anybody remember Karen Silkwood?). The usual corporate contractor Mafia, who have been deeply involved in nuclear power ever since "Atoms for Peace" was first invented as a way to soothe America's conscience after nuking Japanese civilians in 1945.
Does any tried-and-true Kossack really believe that by producing large amounts of plutonium and transporting it here and there around the country by rail we will not exacerbate any issues of nuclear poliferation and the likelihood that terrorists and terrorist states won't easily buy on the international illegal arms market the many pounds of plutonium that gets conveniently "lost" in the process (thereby lining those Mafia pockets even more)?
GrySovCob doesn't know much about Yucca Mountain, but believes with all his heart in the good intentions of all involved. Thus he doesn't NEED to know anything about it. For those unconvinced, here are some useful FAQs about Yucca that may answer some questions. As for me, I am not nearly so blindly trusting of government in particular, or human nature in general. I've seen way too much of it in action.
GrySovCob believes nuclear power generation and materials handling in this country is grossly over-regulated. We should just turn the nuclear Mafia loose to do its worst! Which, in case anyone is wondering what that is, would be to lie, cheat and steal billions while murdering many thousands of innocent people in ways both fast and slow. All we need to do is turn 'em loose to do as they please, and "Don't Worry, Be Happy" with the inevitable 'Free Market' in nuclear materials and technology. Somehow, this doesn't comfort my concerns very much.
Nuclear energy currently costs ~15 cents per kW/hr. The fact that it enjoys billions of dollars in direct and indirect government subsidies does not mean We the People aren't paying every cent of it. There are issues with centralization for our national security, not to mention that centralizing nuclear complicates that issue significantly. The grid is antiquated and subject to mass failure, no one's putting any money into fixing it. If they were, there is 10% of our base load we could immediately realize, because it's lost through grid inefficiencies right now. There are environmental protection laws on the books we could enforce against coal plants right now. We could also refill some of the many abandoned mines with waste, reclaiming the land that the mining companies were supposed to have done by law, but never did. We could increase efficiency of our transportation systems, revamp our ag policies toward biodiesel rather than ethanol (GM and EPA have a joint patent on an efficient SVO diesel for passenger vehicles rivaling Mercedes'), and 80-20 biodiesel could be required for semis, trains, shipping and diesel generators. No refitting necessary, 20% savings on petroleum right now.
There's a lot we can do. There's some stupid things we could do. Re-investing in nuclear power would be stupid IMO. It doesn't really matter who believes me and who dismisses me, since nuclear power is dead in this country and it's not coming back. We the People don't want it. Maybe our live-in pro-nuke 'specialists' will have good luck selling their pipe dreams to Canada, where they have stable land masses and strong regulatory prowess. Then Canada can make money selling electricity to us. We'll buy it.
Meanwhile, I'm pushing alternatives to nuclear. I think the taxpayer-funded Nuclear Lobby is wasting our money here at Daily Kos, but they have to spend it somewhere. Y'all get in touch - I could be persuaded to keep my big mouth shut for surprisingly little, I'll start the bidding at $75K per year. I make the offer because there are plenty of excellent energy-oriented ideas and proponents around here, and enough anti-nukes to make my contribution minimal. Good job, folks!
Any takers among you nuclear salespersons? Just post your offer and contact #, I'll get back to you in time... §;o)