Collapse Of The Nuclear Empire, Double Or Quits For Nuclear Business

[kristopher]

Collapse Of The Nuclear Empire, Double Or Quits For Nuclear Business

Jun 26, 2011 - 03:37 PM
By: Andrew_McKillop

LEAD IN ITS WINGS
Unlike the Chernobyl catastrophe of 1986 which was easy to shrug off as a faraway Soviet disaster with only "minor fallout impacts", by political deciders and government-friendly media in the most extremely nuclear-committed Western democracies, especially France, the March 2011 Fukushima disaster is a paradigm changer. Germany and Switzerland now have official plans to exit and abandon nuclear power within 10 years; Italy voted 95 percent against a restart of its nuclear programme, already abandoned by a previous national referendum in 1987. Japanese opinion polls presently show that as many as 75 percent of Japanese want to exit nuclear power.

Rearguard action by the most-entrenched nuclear elites and their tame media, notably in France try to present Germany's May 30th official announcement of its nuclear exist strategy as not only "irrational" but "treachery" in the sacred task of fighting climate change. This mission, which no longer persuades or motivates the majority of citizens in most countries due to its junk-science background, has itself slipped down the list of claims used by nuclear elites to justify their high cost and extreme high risk business. Due to Fukushima, the nuclear industry has re-centered its propaganda on the supposed "energy independence" conferred by the atom in a desperate quest to maintain sales.

LOST AND GONE
The sheer arrogance of claims by remaining nuclear diehards in France, the USA, UK and a very few other countries likely results from Herd Fear in the state-protected and subsidy-swilling nuclear sector that they have lost their gamble: the general public was not stupid enough, long enough to swallow their poison pill. The more extreme nuclear elites, concentrated in France have even worked the theme, in their tame media outlets that not loving nuclear power is an irrational mass fear, proven by anti-nuclear protest marches in Germany with a "semi-fascist" flavour, like Nazi mass rallies of the 1930s.

The basic problem for the molly-coddled and secretive nuclear elites and their paid apologists is they have now lost almost all and any market potential for their dangerous and unreliable wares in OECD countries and Western democracies. Wherever there is democracy, making nuclear power stick is difficult - because in democracies and from time to time, public opinion triumphs. Their only market strategy to gouge sales is now to focus the emerging and developing countries, where more "virile and muscular" political and corporate elites, or plain old dictators and absolute monarchs will soldier along with the so-called only solution of nuclear power. Until of course they experience their own nuclear disasters and spread toxic radiation and cancer death to neighbouring countries, and the world.

Probable or possible new entrant countries to nuclear power in the 2010-2020 period include lurid cases where nuclear catastrophe would be almost certain, if they went ahead....


Read entire article at http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article28908.html

[DeSwiss]

1. K&R

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. We might be watching history repeating itself

at Ft Calhoun

[NYC_SKP]

4. Unlike Fukushima, Fort Calhoun was in shutdown mode at time of calamity.

I'm not saying there's no possibility of a problem, just indicating that there are distinct differences.

It still needs power to avoid a meltdown, but it's been partially shut down since April.

http://enenews.com/wsj-even-though-ft-calhoun-reactor-is-in-shutdown-it-requires-electricity-to-avoid-melting-of-core

Both of us are hoping for the best possible outcomes, I'm sure.

:thumbsup:

[madokie]

5. All of us are hoping for the best outcome

but hoping shouldn't have to be one of our options and it being is very telling, concerning the safety of nuclear power plants.

[kristopher]

6. Sometimes the obvious needs stating.

Sometimes the obvious needs stating. Thanks. At least the world does seem to be moving on.

SoftBank gets OK on power generation

SoftBank Corp. has gotten the green light to enter the power generation business from its shareholders, opening the way for the firm to launch a solar power company as early as this summer.
SoftBank shareholders on Friday approved a revision of the company's articles of association that added the production of electricity from renewable energy sources to its business operations.
SoftBank plans to set up a subsidiary company to operate a solar business as early as this summer and launch the construction of a power plant by the end of this year.

... Company President Masayoshi Son became a staunch supporter of denuclearization following the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

"We have to create energy to replace nuclear power as soon as possible...

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T110626002352.htm

Japan is a remarkable country. Most outsiders think that it is run based on a rigid vertical hierarchy where the people do what they are told. Nothing could be further from the truth. What actually happens is that problems, when they become matters of public discussion, are hashed out agressively, frankly and thoroughly at all levels. Eventually everyone sort of comes to an understanding and, because of the process, the degree of support the public gives to the solution is remarkably high.

We are used to having disagreements that linger on long after a "public decision" is made, and voices critical of implemented policies are accepted as the normal state of human decision-making. So when we see the lack of these voices at that point-in-process for the Japanese, it can be seen as them being sheep-like followers.

This is the most significant public debate I know of since the policies of the Occupation Authority were being considered for adoption as a basis of their constitution.

http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Japan/English/english-Constitution.html

[PoliticAverse]

3. It's not dead in the US until the administration stops pushing loan guarantees... n/t

[diane in sf]

7. Thanks Chris, great article.

[NNadir]

8. The Chinese couldn't care less about soothsaying from oracles.

If the nuclear enterprise was prone to nonsense from oracles, it would have died in 1980 like the mindless gaz fueled soothsayer Amory Lovins said it would.

It is still, by far, the world's largest source of climate change gas free energy, just as it has been for more than 30 years, not that our gas bags have noticed.

[madokie]

10. I notice that Mr Lovins is still making money doing what he does best

which is help companies to cut down on their energy use and YOU, No one is paying you for your wares, can't even give them away. :rofl:
Where is the link to these peer reviewed papers you are so busy writing anyway?
Nuclear power generation is dying and dying fast in case you haven't noticed.

[Systematic Chaos]

11. Then I guess we're extinct and I'll see you in hell.

Enjoy your eventual 700 ppm CO2.

:hi:

[Kolesar]

13. I thought you were dead.

Been kind of quiet

[defendandprotect]

9. Mayor wanted to call quits on FUKU more than 5 years ago ....

some pressure from US removed the Mayor and onward they marched with their nukes --

Couple of reasons -- the reactors were b uilt to withstand 7.0 earthquakes --

Japanese scientists are registering increasing seismic activity.

Global Warming is brining increased numbers of earthquakes and increasing severity of

earthquakes.

Think of the suffering that could have been saved had they used common sense --


MIC needed this BS of nuclear reactors to prove some "peaceful" use for their atomic era

and continuing amassing of atomic bombs/missiles to save themselves from the those who

would "Ban the Bomb!" -- !!


We're basically using nuclear reactors to boil water to make steam -- !!

Don't think even a third grader would buy that BS!!

[felix_numinous]

12. Technologies are based on optimum conditions,

and laws of physics are based on an exact science.

But here on Earth we make mistakes, there are natural disasters and powerful humans are prone to corruption which results in them losing the will to police themselves. Apparently we have to learn these lessons--all over again.

Peace.