The tragic nuclear events that followed the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan should have been foreseen. In retrospect it is obvious that these reactors were an accident waiting to happen.
First, these nuclear plants were built along the Ring of Fire, the largest, most seismically active geological feature in the world.
Second, global earth science fully understands the movements of plate tectonics, that created the Alps, Andes, Himalayas, and Rocky Mountains. To think that the forces that created these kinds of earth changes would not happen again is not only unwise, but demonstrates criminal negligence on the part of the Japanese government, the IAEA, and any other global agency that is responsible for the development of nuclear power.
Third, it is clear that some of the Japanese plants were not sufficiently hardened and the designs themselves are substandard, without adequate safeguards, and do not conform to our best understanding of nuclear power engineering. A few of these substandard reactors should have been decommissioned long ago.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but truthfully, the likelihood of a nuclear accident at this location should have been obvious. The dangers were downplayed there as they have been everywhere else; including in the United States, where we too, have nuclear plants on fault zones, near large population centers.
SAY WHAT?
The United States has many nuclear plants located along known fault zones, near large population centers.
Asinine isn’t it? More than that it is criminal; and worse when a nuclear accident occurs, it is virtually impossible to “clean up”. It can only be “entombed”. Of course if that nuclear accident occurs at Hanford Washington where nuclear waste threatens the ground water and Columbia River System, it would cost about $8 billion dollars to clean up: if the government knew how to clean it up. It doesn’t. Without a government “clean up” of this toxic spill, Portland Oregon, the quintessential green city may someday glow in the dark, its drinking water contaminated, and unfit for consumption.
As great as the danger is from an accident at a nuclear plant from earthquake, the greatest danger is from spent nuclear fuel. Spent fuel from a breeder reactor takes 1,000 years for the n-waste to lose its fatal toxicity. Spent fuel from a normal reactor takes 10,000 years to decay to a point where it is no longer lethal to human life.
Until scientists create a microbe that will eat nuclear waste, neutralize it, release water, and excrete gold or hydrocarbons, a moratorium should be placed on all nuclear power development everywhere in the world.
Currently, there are 1,000 proposed nuclear plants on the drawing boards in America waiting for Congressional approval. Why Congressional approval? The nuclear industry wants the American taxpayer to fund the costs of these plants and insure them for the owners (read; Bechtal and GE), mitigating all financial and operational risk to the builders and owners; while they charge US increasing costs for our energy. GE, let us point out, one of the largest corporations in America, paid zero income taxes in 2010.
SAY WHAT? GE paid NO corporate income taxes last year.
Each plant would cost the American taxpayer $25 to $30 billion before cost over runs, with no risk to the builders and owners who would then charge US increasing costs for the energy that we insured and bought and paid for in advance.
It’s the gangster banksters all over again. Just say “NO!”, “ HELL NO!” to nuclear energy. Click: SHTF Energy.
