While writing this I'm listening to on-line TV-broadcast of Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE). There our Minister of Europian Affairs and Foreign Trade Mr. Alexander Stubb is guessing whether Greece is capable of paying its national debt or not.
For some months now I have been thinking why southern European countries are not building solar, wind and wave energy capacity. They have much more sunny days than for example Germany and North European countries, and the coastlands of Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy are having also plenty of wind available.
Only Spain has begun some kind of serious renewable energy program, the others are just outsiders. When politicians speak whether Greece is capable of paying its debts, nobody is speaking about a new alternative way of arranging things internationally.
New technology offers new possibilities that can be ignored beacuse of lack of former experience on that spectacular area. Nobody could have seriously claimed a few years ago that Germany will be the leader in solar technology in the world in just three years. Or thought that Saudi -Arabia will build 41 000 MW of solar capacity during the next 20 years, keeping in mind that it has huge oil reservoirs and the price of energy is there record low.
Link: - Techi:
http://www.techi.com/2011/12/germany-captures-43-of-the-worlds-solar-power/
Link: - Cleantechnica:
http://cleantechnica.com/2012/05/11/109-billion-increase-for-solar-in-saudi-arabia/
But this kind of new technology is giving us free tools to arrange economies of whole countries or entire continents. Imagine an energy network that is Europe-wide, consisting of wind-, solar-, water-, wave- and biomass-based electricity generating power plants. This smart network could make it possible to ensure enough energy in every part of Europe, keeping sustainibility as a main target in mind. CO2 -emissions would be going down and stability and security of energy production could be enhanced.
The slow adapting of new renewable energy technology and smart grids especially in Southern Europe have been a major issue to take the first steps to reach that goal. Large scale nuclear power and weapons programs have been also hindering the willingness to introduce new environmentally better technologies.
Only after Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima the eyes of the world are beginning to open. Many countries have decided to start develop safe energy production technologies. And willingness to invest in renewables is higher than ever.
On this background I would like to see some wise men and women, experts on energy and economical issues, to count whether it could be possible to rearrange the national economies of Greece and Spain and other southern European countries by investing on their renewable energy sector by building together with these countries enormous solar, wind, wave and biomass power stations and smart grids needed for transportation of energy to continental Europe. So it would be possible for these countries to pay their debt in electricity during the decades to come. Meantime they could get the energy they need themselves, and the construction work and sustaining the power generating system would offer thousands of working places and the economical activity that is desperately needed there. And the risks for accidents and pollution would be almost zero for them. No nuclear waste, no decontamination needed, unlike with nuclear power.
The constucting work could be started without delay - new wind mills could be built within the first year, new solar power stations could be productive in a few years, locally minor investments to renewables could be started straight away. No need for ten year planning and construction time as for nuclear pover - the capacity could be built little by little - and the power generating capacity would start to pay the investments back from the first megawatt produced. And what would be the upper limit, would 41 000 megawatts like for Saudi-Arabia , be realistic - or twice or ten times that much? That question could be answered by wind- solar- and wave energy engineers and companies in co-operation with technical universities and researchers.
After constructing investments the costs of keeping the powerplants and smart grids running is relatively low when we speak about solar and wind energy. The income for the countries and investors that have made bad loans with Greece (and other countries of Southern Europe) during recent years would be quite safe and there would not be huge risks included. The sun is shining quite often, the wind blows somewhere whole the time and the sea is rarely calm.
JPS
SOLARWINDPRONET
About me
- Solarwindadmin
- Teacher, activist, interested in energy technology, climate change, environmental issues and global security.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
IS COVER -UP OF A NUCLEAR CATASTROPHY A PROFITABLE BUSINESS - YES, SAYS US-STUDY
HOW COULD A COVER-UP OF A CATASTROPHE, THAT MAKES PEOPLE SUFFER, GET SICK AND DIE, BE PROFITABLE?
The answer can be found on a Department of Homeland Security -funded study. If you tell the people facts about a nuclear power plant accident or a dirty bomb terrorist attack it can cause severe disturbance on economy, people get scared , don't spend money, the investors and workers leave the area etc. This all could end up to fifteen times as costly as hiding the facts.
So the real costs of the disaster could not any more be connected to the accident and people just pay for their costs of medical care by themselves. That's the way how nuclear industry worldwide have been acting since the beginning of the nuclear era, and this is the way how IAEA wants it to be. The WHO must obey IAEA decisions and their VETO: studies that tell something different are not allowed to be made public. The lack of information is a powerful tool.
Japan government have used this tool with both hands engaged - Japanese people is being hidden the real severity of Fukushima Daichi -accident. People, especially children are suffering hard for this type of covering up the truth. How long does it take before the crouds in Japan find out what's really going on there and get angry and frustrated. This could mean a real "changing of the guards" in Japan, a revolution of ethics and moral thinking that could lead to a society of sustainable values and fresh environmental thinking, but also bring back the old values like importance of hard work, honesty, honour and social responsibility.
A large scale employment of renewable energy production systems could lead Japan out of this nightmare but there is still awful lot to do in containing the nowbeing nuclear disaster, a task seem to be almost impossible.
Meanwhile, the children and families now living in badly contaminated areas should be offered safe living at areas less contaminated and TEPCO and other nuclear power companies should pay real compensations for their lost homes and property.
We are lucky to have social media and websites like Fukushima Diary, Enformable, Fairewinds, EX-SKF, ENENEWS, Beyond Nuclear and numerous other homesites or blogs informing the people around the world of the real studies, independent news and relevant facts on energy and nuclear issues. For many individuals living in danger areas this has been the only way to get trustworthy information - even governments and politicians have been informed this way.
But the first thing to do now is to throw this kind of "profitable" pro-nuke-polluted-world-studies
http://www.neontommy.com/news/2012/05/can-we-cope-terror-attack-los-angeles
where they belong: into the TRASH!
JPS
The answer can be found on a Department of Homeland Security -funded study. If you tell the people facts about a nuclear power plant accident or a dirty bomb terrorist attack it can cause severe disturbance on economy, people get scared , don't spend money, the investors and workers leave the area etc. This all could end up to fifteen times as costly as hiding the facts.
So the real costs of the disaster could not any more be connected to the accident and people just pay for their costs of medical care by themselves. That's the way how nuclear industry worldwide have been acting since the beginning of the nuclear era, and this is the way how IAEA wants it to be. The WHO must obey IAEA decisions and their VETO: studies that tell something different are not allowed to be made public. The lack of information is a powerful tool.
Japan government have used this tool with both hands engaged - Japanese people is being hidden the real severity of Fukushima Daichi -accident. People, especially children are suffering hard for this type of covering up the truth. How long does it take before the crouds in Japan find out what's really going on there and get angry and frustrated. This could mean a real "changing of the guards" in Japan, a revolution of ethics and moral thinking that could lead to a society of sustainable values and fresh environmental thinking, but also bring back the old values like importance of hard work, honesty, honour and social responsibility.
A large scale employment of renewable energy production systems could lead Japan out of this nightmare but there is still awful lot to do in containing the nowbeing nuclear disaster, a task seem to be almost impossible.
Meanwhile, the children and families now living in badly contaminated areas should be offered safe living at areas less contaminated and TEPCO and other nuclear power companies should pay real compensations for their lost homes and property.
We are lucky to have social media and websites like Fukushima Diary, Enformable, Fairewinds, EX-SKF, ENENEWS, Beyond Nuclear and numerous other homesites or blogs informing the people around the world of the real studies, independent news and relevant facts on energy and nuclear issues. For many individuals living in danger areas this has been the only way to get trustworthy information - even governments and politicians have been informed this way.
But the first thing to do now is to throw this kind of "profitable" pro-nuke-polluted-world-studies
http://www.neontommy.com/news/2012/05/can-we-cope-terror-attack-los-angeles
JPS
Thursday, May 3, 2012
JAPAN FACING NO NUCLEAR PLANT IN SERVICE -SITUATION THE 5TH MAY 2012
Japan is running its economy and society without nuclear power first time for decades beginning the 5th of May this year. All of Japan's 54 nuclear reactors are out of commercial service from this weekend on. A growing majority of Japanese are against restarting any of the nuclear power plants when the cause and the real severity and all the consequences of Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant accident with 3 melt-out reactors and extremely dangerous reactor 4 with its spent fuel pool possibly collapsing and burning if severe earthquakes will occur is still not fully understood.
Link - The Economist: http://www.economist.com/node/21554239?fsrc=rss%7Casi
Over 70 organizations sent a letter to UN-Head Ban Ki-Moon: the world is in danger because of spent fuel pool of FD reactor4 - International Expertize is needed. The worst case scenario: about 85 times Chernobyl Cesium -release possible!
Link - Greenaction:
http://fukushima.greenaction-japan.org/2012/05/01/an-urgent-request-on-un-intervention-to-stabilize-the-fukushima-unit-4-spent-nuclear-fuel/
The problems of Talvivaara Uranium Mine in Northern Finland continue: lots of death birds found in processing water basin last week. The journalists that found the birds were stopped by police and the mining company is claiming they had no right to be there.
Link (in Finnish - use google translator) - HelsinginSanomat: http://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/Talvivaaran+allasalueelta+l%C3%B6ytyi+kymmeni%C3%A4+kuolleita+lintuja/a1305560856341
(reminder: Talvivaara -critical marathon -blues by Carlos F-Major, link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooXtDWjbX_4 :-)
JPS
Link - The Economist: http://www.economist.com/node/21554239?fsrc=rss%7Casi
Over 70 organizations sent a letter to UN-Head Ban Ki-Moon: the world is in danger because of spent fuel pool of FD reactor4 - International Expertize is needed. The worst case scenario: about 85 times Chernobyl Cesium -release possible!
Link - Greenaction:
http://fukushima.greenaction-japan.org/2012/05/01/an-urgent-request-on-un-intervention-to-stabilize-the-fukushima-unit-4-spent-nuclear-fuel/
The problems of Talvivaara Uranium Mine in Northern Finland continue: lots of death birds found in processing water basin last week. The journalists that found the birds were stopped by police and the mining company is claiming they had no right to be there.
Link (in Finnish - use google translator) - HelsinginSanomat: http://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/Talvivaaran+allasalueelta+l%C3%B6ytyi+kymmeni%C3%A4+kuolleita+lintuja/a1305560856341
(reminder: Talvivaara -critical marathon -blues by Carlos F-Major, link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooXtDWjbX_4 :-)
JPS
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The HMS Titanic and Nuclear Power
In its editorial the Japan Times compared Titanic and the nuclear disaster in Japan.
Link: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/ed20120415a1.html
That article and the theme was deeply analyzed by professor Karl Grossman in his blog:
http://karlgrossman.blogspot.com/
I warmly recommend both of those stories to all!
JPS
Link: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/ed20120415a1.html
That article and the theme was deeply analyzed by professor Karl Grossman in his blog:
http://karlgrossman.blogspot.com/
I warmly recommend both of those stories to all!
JPS
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Politician: Mass-Suicide of Japan If No Nuclear Reactors Running - Familiar Speak also in Finland among Pro-Nuke Politicians
A leading Japanese DPJ -politician Yoshito Sengoku warns that "No nuke plant restart would mean mass suicide of Japan".
Links: EX-SKF: http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2012/04/japans-djp-politician-no-nuke-plant.html
In a situation where all but one of the Japanese nuclear reactors are already out of service and the economic growth is still positive for Japan, threathening with a national catastrophe when closing down the last reactor seems quite odd to me. But the similar "Danger" for the whole economy collapsing without nuclear power is painted on the political canvas of Finland when someone suggests closing down our nuclear power plants or demands changes to our policy of building new reactors.
Fear-mongering is often connected to anti-nuke activists when they warn about the dangers of nuclear accidents or low level radiation but I feel that term to be more relevant when speaking about cheer leaders of nuclear industry, like Mr. Sengoku in Japan or Mr. Mika Seitovirta of Outokumpu Steel Company in Finland.
Most propably nothing catastrophical will happen when the last of Japanese nuclear reactors goes idling in the beginning of May this year. And no crisis will occur when Olkiluoto3 and Fennovoima -nuclear plants will not be built or finished in Finland. The electrical capacity needed will be built in alternative - and better - ways. We'll see!
By the way:
The japanese Government made 2011 some calculations how the nation would survive without nuclear power - and it will! The study made for the government showed 6 % overproduction of electricity in worst case scenario (summer 2012 would be the hottiest summer of history, record many conventional power plants would be halted for service at the same time - and no nuclear power would be available!)
Link: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120123p2a00m0na007000c.html
(Sorry about the source - Mainichi web page - had been made unavailable recently. So I can't provide a working link for this study any more!)
JPS
Links: EX-SKF: http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2012/04/japans-djp-politician-no-nuke-plant.html
In a situation where all but one of the Japanese nuclear reactors are already out of service and the economic growth is still positive for Japan, threathening with a national catastrophe when closing down the last reactor seems quite odd to me. But the similar "Danger" for the whole economy collapsing without nuclear power is painted on the political canvas of Finland when someone suggests closing down our nuclear power plants or demands changes to our policy of building new reactors.
Fear-mongering is often connected to anti-nuke activists when they warn about the dangers of nuclear accidents or low level radiation but I feel that term to be more relevant when speaking about cheer leaders of nuclear industry, like Mr. Sengoku in Japan or Mr. Mika Seitovirta of Outokumpu Steel Company in Finland.
Most propably nothing catastrophical will happen when the last of Japanese nuclear reactors goes idling in the beginning of May this year. And no crisis will occur when Olkiluoto3 and Fennovoima -nuclear plants will not be built or finished in Finland. The electrical capacity needed will be built in alternative - and better - ways. We'll see!
By the way:
The japanese Government made 2011 some calculations how the nation would survive without nuclear power - and it will! The study made for the government showed 6 % overproduction of electricity in worst case scenario (summer 2012 would be the hottiest summer of history, record many conventional power plants would be halted for service at the same time - and no nuclear power would be available!)
Link: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120123p2a00m0na007000c.html
(Sorry about the source - Mainichi web page - had been made unavailable recently. So I can't provide a working link for this study any more!)
JPS
US SENATOR RON WYDEN: SPENT FUEL POOL OF FD REACTOR 4 VERY DANGEROUS - SENT A LETTER TO WARN POLITICIANS AND NRC
According to US Senator Ron Wyden the unit 4's spent fuel pool may collapse if a major seismic event occurs and the consequences could be worse than the March 11th 2011 earthquake-tsunami -related meltdown accident fallout.
Japan is not moving fast enough in removing the nuclear fuel rods from the units and the U.S. should offer help for speeding things up. Wyden sent letters to Ambassador Ischiro Fujisaki, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko.
TEPCO and Japan's Foreign Ministry haven't commented the issue.
Link: The Wall Street Journal - Japan: http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/04/17/fukushima-daiichis-achilles-heel-unit-4s-spent-fuel/
JPS
Japan is not moving fast enough in removing the nuclear fuel rods from the units and the U.S. should offer help for speeding things up. Wyden sent letters to Ambassador Ischiro Fujisaki, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko.
TEPCO and Japan's Foreign Ministry haven't commented the issue.
Link: The Wall Street Journal - Japan: http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/04/17/fukushima-daiichis-achilles-heel-unit-4s-spent-fuel/
JPS
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Former Japanese Ambassador to Switzerland and Senegal Mitsuhei Murata Wrote a Letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon To Warn of World-Wide Nuclear Fallout If SFP-4 Collapses
Akio Matsumura, a former Japanese UN-official and a well known negotiator, shares Mitsuhei Murata's concern about the risk of Fukushima Daichi reactor -4 spent fuel pool to collapse due a possible strong eathquake. The loosing of cooling water in such a situation would cause a nuclear catastrophe far more severe than Chernobyl - the SFP-4 and the common SFP situated 50m away from SFP-4 would get out of control burning, melting down and releasing freely radiation 85 times the amount of Chernobyl during the next 50 years. Containing the accident would be impossible, Tokyo and Central Japan would have to be evacuated and abandonned. The radioactive fallout would be severe around the world.
According to Akio Matsumura and Mitsuhei Murata it is needed now to collect all available human knowledge to avoid a catastrophe of SFP-4.
Read the letter to Ban Ki-moon published by Akio Matsumura here: http://akiomatsumura.com/2012/04/682.html
The video-interview of Akio Matsumura can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KwCfAY4iyPQ
JPS
According to Akio Matsumura and Mitsuhei Murata it is needed now to collect all available human knowledge to avoid a catastrophe of SFP-4.
Read the letter to Ban Ki-moon published by Akio Matsumura here: http://akiomatsumura.com/2012/04/682.html
The video-interview of Akio Matsumura can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KwCfAY4iyPQ
JPS
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