Real NJ nuclear physicist Rush Holt on Energy Policy, Barack Obama and John Holdren

[kristopher]

Congressman Rush Holt, a Democrat from New Jersey, is one of four physicists now serving in Congress. For nearly a decade he worked as assistant director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory at Princeton University. Supporters in his Central Jersey 12th District can be spotted driving around with bumper stickers that say, “My Congressman IS a Rocket Scientist!”

Q: In 2005 you said “Our country desperately needs a new energy policy.” Now it’s 2009, what do you think we need to do?

A: The need is even more desperate. Each year we delay the large-scale, dramatic action that is necessary means that the chances of being able to reverse are less. The chances of even stabilizing the world’s climate are less. With each passing year there is economic and personal damage. We are years overdue in doing this. Furthermore, any change of a trillion dollar system — because the way we produce and use energy is more than a trillion dollars of our economy in the United States – takes time. ...

<snip>

Q: What role do you think coal and nuclear should play in America’s energy future?

A: They’re both playing a large role right now — twenty percent of our power is nuclear, more than fifty percent of our power is coal. So let’s not pretend they don’t exist. They do exist. It’s not clear to me that they will make up growing shares of our energy mix, but they might. ...
On nuclear, the biggest problems are not primarily technological. They have to do with the connection between nuclear processes and weapons. Nuclear proliferation is a problem that humankind has not solved. I don’t want to see us get deeper into a dependency on nuclear power until we demonstrate to each other that we can solve the problem of nuclear proliferation. Because if we don’t that could be our greatest undoing. ...

Full article at http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/rush-holt-on-energy-policy-barack-obama-and-john-holdren/

Very good read. - K

[DCKit]

1. Exajoules! Is this a pro or anti-nuke OP?

I can either be outraged, or a cheerleader, but there is no middle ground, no compromise on the Nnewquelur issue.
:sarcasm:
Four physicists in the Congress? Really? I wasn't sure there were any adults in Congress, let alone edumacated adults. Go figure.

[jpak]

2. Did they discuss the make-believe NJ molten salt breeder reactor???

:rofl:

[bananas]

3. The moderators were duped into believing that proliferation has nothing to do with nuclear energy

I hope they are beginning to understand how wrong they were.

"On nuclear, the biggest problems are not primarily technological. They have to do with the connection between nuclear processes and weapons. Nuclear proliferation is a problem that humankind has not solved. I don’t want to see us get deeper into a dependency on nuclear power until we demonstrate to each other that we can solve the problem of nuclear proliferation. Because if we don’t, that could be our greatest undoing."

Note that he says "the biggest problems". Some people might interpret his statement as "the only problem". He used the plural form "problems". He understands that there are many problems with nuclear energy. He understands that there are many big problems with nuclear energy. He understands that the very biggest of those big problems is nuclear weapons proliferation.

[Nihil]

4. *yawn*

Come on Bananas - you are better than this.

In those *TWO* cases, the posts were not E/E material and so were moved.
In the *many* other ones you've posted, the content *was* E/E material
and so they've stayed (and generated lively discussions in many cases).

Let that particular chip go from your shoulder and concentrate on
the other stuff that you do.

[bananas]

5. Proliferation issues are implicitly related to nuclear energy

Proliferation is one of the major issues with nuclear energy.
I shouldn't have to explain that every time I post about proliferation.
Those two posts shouldn't have been moved, but because they were, now I feel that I have to keep pointing out that proliferation issues are implicitly related to nuclear energy.

[Nihil]

6. Echo (echo) (echo)

And to think that you are one of the troupe of "pile-on" posters
who takes NNadir to task for ranting ...
:shrug:

[bananas]

8. Take a look at the two posts that were moved

This one explicitly mentioned nuclear energy:

The group, called Global Zero, wants to start with U.S.-Russian negotiations to cut back nuclear stockpiles. Then a second phase would bring in countries such as China, Britain and France. Finally, it hopes to attract other countries such as Iran — which the West fears is seeking nuclear arms. Tehran insists its nuclear program is aimed at generating electricity.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bananas/688

The other post included this statement:

Two new books by three atomic insiders hold out hope. The authors shatter myths, throw light on the hidden dynamics of nuclear proliferation and suggest new ways to reduce the threat.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bananas/690

Once you acknowledge that nuclear proliferation is a serious issue with nuclear energy, the relevance of these posts to this forum is obvious, and they clearly are not "anti-nuke" post because they discuss ways to reduce the proliferation problem.

Oh, wait, the "pro-nukes" pretend there's no connection between nuclear energy and nuclear proliferation, so even discussing ways to reduce the problem can't be allowed because that means you have to acknowledge that it is a real problem.

[NNadir]

7. I have personally - live - discussed energy with Rush Holt in community forums.

He's my congressman - a good one - who interacts well with his community. He is accessible.

I have supported him in every election he has run in.

I disagree with Dr. Holt and many things though - including his support for the notion that rich trust fund brats who have done nothing worthwhile in their pathetic lives should be allowed to inherit resources they have not earned tax free.

But he is the best congressman I have ever had.

But his ideas on energy suck and I've said so in public - more politely than I do when speak to stupid people.

He is a physicist, although he will be the first to tell you that he's not up on the latest in physics.

He knows very little about actinide chemistry.

His entire "nuclear" physics career has been spent, more or less, developing fusion energy systems at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, a facility I have visited.

It would interesting to hear from the fundie anti-nukes on this website who would claim that since Rush Holt is a physicist and he supports and believes in fusion energy whether fusion energy produces more energy than say, the failed solar industry which still cannot provide 0.10 exajoules of energy in this country.

Here is the data for all forms of energy in Dr. Holt's country:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/alternate/page/renew_energy_consump/table1.html

It would be interesting to hear from dumb anti-nukes what the fraction of fusion energy on this list is.

The anti-nuke community relies solely on logical fallacies, including the "appeal to authority" argument.

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/appeal-to-authority.html

Such appeals are other instances of bad thinking although no amount of bad thinking from anti-nukes supprises me.

I am continually prodding Dr. Holt on his arbitrary criteria on energy, noting as I often do, that his insistence that only nuclear energy be perfect and that every other form of energy, including those that are used diverted for war - notably oil - can kill at will is ridiculous.

While car CULTist who don't think much keep prodding politicians to worry about nuclear war - which actually doesn't kill people - they are notably indifferent to actual dangerous fossil fuel wars.

There are ZERO critical thinkers in the anti-nuke religion, and therefore there are ZERO anti-nukes who can make a distinction between "so and so says" arguments and truth.

I actually believe that Holt knows better in private than he is willing to say publically, but if he doesn't he is still wrong.

[bananas]

9. The League of Conservation Voters gives him a perfect 100% score throughout his 6 terms in Congress

Impressive!

“The League of Conservation Voters congratulates Representative Holt for maintaining a perfect 100 percent score throughout his tenure in Congress. In his time in Washington, Representative Holt has proven to be a leader in seeking solutions to our greatest energy challenges. We look forward to working with him to ensure that the next Congress finally passes vital legislation that tackles climate change and paves the way to a prosperous, clean energy future.”

League of Conservation Voters, October 17, 2008

http://www.rushholt.com/node/15

Rush Holt, 60, is currently serving his sixth term in Congress as Representative of New Jersey's 12th Congressional District. First elected in 1998, Rush is well-known for studying the issues, standing up for principle, getting real results, and reaching out to his constituents.

http://www.rushholt.com/about