Anti-nuclear human chain to link 200 kms between Lyon and Avignon

[bananas]

Source: Radio France Internationale

Thousands of people are expected to come together on Sunday to form a human chain covering the 200 kilometres between the French cities of Lyon and Avignon as part of an anti-nuclear protest organized by the pressure group Sortir du Nucléaire. The demonstration comes one year after the deadly Japanese tsunami which caused the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Several politicians are expected to take part in the event including the Green Party’s presidential candidate Eva Joly and ecologist Corinne Lepage, the presidential candidate for the CAP21 party.

The organizers claim that one year after Fukishima, the Japanese nuclear reactors continue to emit dangerous levels of radiation which will contaminate the region for thousands of years to come.

“Exactly one year later, on 11 March, 2012, let’s act and stand together to denounce the risk of a nuclear catastrophe in France and say aloud that a nuclear phase out is possible,” the organizers said in a statement.

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Read more: http://www.english.rfi.fr/france/20120311-anti-nuclear-human-chain-link-200-kms-between-lyon-and-avignon

[Scuba]

1. I'll bet the American media is non-stop with this story...

... or more likely, non-start.

[grahamhgreen]

2. Bottom line: Wind is cheaper, even before you factor in the next nuclear disaster.

[minavasht]

3. France gets 75% of their electricity from nuclear plants

420 billion kWh was produced in 2011.
The biggest windmill turbine - Enercon 126, has the potential of producing 18 million kWh every year.
You will need at lest 23000 windmills of this size (413 ft in diameter, 450 ft tall) to replace France's nuclear plants.
How many of the protesters will be trilled to have one in their backyard?

[fascisthunter]

4. Well, any other means of creating power is more than welcome

Over time we will need to adapt to safer means of providing energy. Over time, their will be advancements in how power if garnered. I do not expect things to change overnight, but I damn well demand we start some transition to safer and cleaner means of harvesting power.

[minavasht]

5. Do you think

That the utilities companies intentionally chose the more expensive ways to produce electricity? If that is the case, solar power should be their number 1 choice.
Ever since I saw windmills in Europe I've loved them, but I also realize they are not reliable source of electricity. Were sail ships cheaper to operate - yes, you did not have to pay for the fuel. Were they reliable - no, it could take you any amount of time to get where you were going, depending on the strength of the wind. That is why they are not being used commercially now.

France is approximately 210000 square miles. That means that if those 23000 windmills are all it requires to replace the existing nuclear plants, there will be one every 10 square miles. Of course you will need much more to compensate for differences in wind speed in different areas at any given time. Tying them to existing grid is one thing, creating an electric grid with only wind power that varies every minutes, is an entirely different scenario.

When you exclude all the mountains and other unsuitable areas, you will end up with huge windmills all over the place.


And then the environmentalists will start protesting them, because of all the birds they kill...

[fascisthunter]

6. ...do you not want to see us transition to...

...safer, greener technology or not?

[grahamhgreen]

7. What will you do when the uranium runs out? And isn't that the same amount of land laid barren by

Chernobyl?