Britain is reportedly set to announce plans for joint ventures with the French to develop new nuclear technology and to build nuclear power stations. This has provoked howls of outrage and ludicrous claims from the usual suspects, in this case the so-called friends of the earth.
According to the Guardian, the plan calls for Britain to tap into France's nuclear expertise to create both a skilled workforce and technology that can be exported worldwide within the next 15 years.
The paper says Britain is eager to come up with alternatives to fossil fuels.
But Friends of the Earth campaigner Neil Crumpton said: "The idea of selling nuclear power around the world as a solution to climate change is just nonsense.
"Nuclear power is limited, dangerous and requires a lot of hi-tech skills to deal with the waste. By far the better technology is renewables."
Mr Crumpton said desert climates need to look to solar energy, while more northerly countries should embrace wind power.
"It is these safe, simple, easily constructed technologies that the UK and all other countries should be promoting."
Long on rhetoric, short on understanding of the engineering realities as always. One can only continue to point out that the sun does not shine all day and that the reliability of wind power is only about 30%. The reality is that both of these sources of power require 100% instantly available conventional generation to provide reliable service when the wind stops or the sun is covered by cloud (or at night). There are engineering facts that wishful thinking cannot get around, period.
One wonders what will happen when those who promote wind power come up against the folks from PETA? For those who aren’t aware of the practical realities of giant windmills with rapidly rotating blades, they have a tendency to kill birds who happen to fly by within the sweep of the blades. They can’t always see the blades coming and often have a hard time judging the speed with which the blades rotate. It’s kind of like throwing a sparrow into a window fan. When the PETA folks figure this out who knows what they’ll do? We all know what they’re like.
safe, simple, easily constructed technologies
Sounds great. Wonder why the market hasn’t jumped into these technologies with both feet.
Oh. They’re ridiculously expensive, high maintenance when they do work and spend more down-time than run-time? That might explain it. So might the fact that if you try to put them up, Friends of the Earth will be there to try to stop it.
These people are anti-progress and will shift arguments and goal-posts with alarming speed. I think they just like to throw eco-tantrums and see their names in the papers.
For Pete’s sake! The reason Mother Nature put uranium in the earth was for just that purpose-as fuel for power plants that don’t pollute.