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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>FYI – this was posted on the OSN listserv and originally appeared
in the Norman Transcript. Thot it might be of interest.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Dear
Sustainability people.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>FYI,
the following essay was printed in The Norman Transcript on February
28th. Almost none of the arguments in opposition to new nuclear power
presented therein have been refuted or even addressed in the Oklahoma
Legislature.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Comments
and criticism welcome!</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Ed
Kessler</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>--------------------------------------------------
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:18.0pt;
color:black'> NO NEW NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS</span><span
style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Edwin Kessler</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>An article starting on the front
page of<span class=apple-converted-space> </span><u>The Norman Transcript</u><span
class=apple-converted-space> </span>on February 20th discussed the approval
of Scott Martin's House Bill 1750 by the House Energy Committee on
February 17th. House Bill 1320 by Rep. Mike Reynolds was approved at
the same meeting, and both bills will go to the House Floor. Both bills
are intended to facilitate development of atomic nuclear fission power in
Oklahoma. Fortunately, both bills are only facilitative and even with
legislative approval, the Corporation Commission would have
responsibillity for consideration and approval of actual construction proposals.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Having built much of our
socio-economic structure on the ready availability and low price of liquid
fuels, we now have serious problems in our country because these resources
are running out, their price is increasing, and for these and other reasons, good
alternatives need to be identified. <span class=apple-converted-space> </span>Coal-burning
power plants emit carbon dioxide, a cause of global warming and acidification
of the oceans, and these power plants also emit mercury vapor, which is the
probable cause of increasing mercury in fish to health threatening levels.
Thus, whether or not the emissions of carbon dioxide from coal-burning power
plants are an anthropogenic major cause of global warming, there is a need for
reduced emissions of carbon dioxide during generation of electrical power, and consideration
and some implementation is being given to alternate sources of power.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Here are some pros and cons of
increased use of nuclear fission power. <span class=apple-converted-space> </span>They
lead to the conclusion that new power plants operated by nuclear fission should
not be constructed. Very regrettably, technical and long range factors
that are bases of concerns appear to have received little or no
consideration in the political decisions made in Oklahoma thus far.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Nuclear fission generates abundant
electric power without notable emissions of carbon dioxide from the power
plants. <span class=apple-converted-space> </span>That may be the
only plus. <span class=apple-converted-space> </span>The embodied
energy and emissions, i.e., the energy and fuels required to manufacture and
maintain nuclear fission plants and to remove them at the close of their
useful life, have been rarely considered and amount to a large
minus. <span class=apple-converted-space> </span>This issue was
addressed by Gene Tyner (deceased in 2004), and his paper<span
class=apple-converted-space> </span><u>Net Energy from Nuclear Power</u><span
class=apple-converted-space> </span>(2002) is available on the Minnesotans
for Sustainability website. <span class=apple-converted-space> </span>Dr.
Tyner’s conclusion was that there is very little if any net energy from nuclear
fission power.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>The spent fuel from nuclear
fission plants can be used for manufacture of bomb-making materials, especially
those based in plutonium, a very strong carcinogen, and present social structures
are inadequate to prevention of awful possible consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Nuclear waste assumes various
forms depending on the recycling processes used, but generally, tens of tons of
radioactive waste are produced each year from each nuclear power plant, and to
safeguard the human public and other life forms, substantial portions of
this waste must be sequestered for more than one hundred thousand years,
even for several hundred thousand years. <span
class=apple-converted-space> </span>The waste disposal problem has not
been solved, even in France, which generates about 80% of its power from
nuclear fission, and which had to close down some of its nuclear generating
facilities during a recent heat wave and drought, owing to
insufficient cooling water.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>There is a risk of nuclear
accidents, although new technologies have greatly increased the safety of
nuclear plants. <span class=apple-converted-space> </span>The risk of
accidents must be considered in terms of the long time that power generation by
nuclear fission once established would endure. <span
class=apple-converted-space> </span>Thus, the fact that, with a few
important exceptions, almost all nuclear facilities have operated safely for
tens of years does not mean that the technologies can be safely operated for
hundreds or thousands of years. <span class=apple-converted-space> </span>As
with Chernobyl, another nuclear incident might pollute a large portion of the planet,
require abandonment of homes and farms by hundreds of thousands of people, even
millions of people, and endanger all higher life forms in a large area. <span
class=apple-converted-space> </span>This quality of energy from nuclear
fission is unique.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>All of the above must be
considered in light of social disturbance including threats of terrorism. <span
class=apple-converted-space> </span>Recalling 9/11, there could be
different kinds of terrorist plots that seek nuclear proliferation, bomb making
and/or use, local or widespread radioactive poisoning, or theft for reuse of
nuclear materials.<span class=apple-converted-space> </span> Until
the international social order can better guarantee order, and present
indications are in a counter direction, the risk of terrorism by both
non-governmental and governmental activities must be considered as a serious
threat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>It may be said that since others
are doing it, we may do it too. <span class=apple-converted-space> </span>There
are more than 400 nuclear plants operating worldwide now, and more than 100 in
our country, all apparently operating in reasonable safety. <span
class=apple-converted-space> </span>Note that the U.S. financial system
seemed solid also, and most were satisfied with it. The fact that
others approve is not a good reason to do more of it, especially since
other practice has given little consideration to long-term consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>The energy and resource crises are
serious. Through the influence of inadequately controlled lobbying, a number of
taxpayer-supported programs have begun, ostensibly to save liquid fuels and
other resources, and almost all are actually either counterproductive or
woefully insufficient. <span class=apple-converted-space> </span>The
reality is that our socio-economic system and some of our cultural values must
change radically toward true sustainability if our State and Nation are to
survive as the great entities that they can be. Business as usual, even
after abatement of the present crisis in the finance sector, is not an option.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>There is not space for discussion
of the many important topics suggested above, but the bottom line here is that
nuclear fission power must not be facilitated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</blockquote>
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