Mini nuclear plants to power 20,000 homes

This is a great idea, but I don't think it will ever get off the ground, because people have an irrational fear and hatred for nuclear power. It is really a conspiracy of sorts, and I've written at length about it.

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Look -- we already have outstanding nuclear technology. And we can easily take care of all electrical power generation for the entire nation within an eighteen month period by building 500 nuclear reactors, starting in June 2009 and finishing in December of 2010.

Take a look at the state-of-art nuclear reactor. It is incredibly safe, efficient, and cheap.

Westinghouse AP1000 Nuclear Reactor

If we took advantage of the economy of scale, we could probably build these reactors for about one billion dollars each. I am sure.

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This is not going to happen. Why? Because "radiation causes cancer". So we think. Although the linkage is not so clear and there is a lot of proof that this is actually NOT TRUE (at least not at the greatly over-exaggerated level most people fear.)

I love the technology proposed in this thread, but am extremely pessimistic about it ever being accepted by the general population. People are just too very afraid. The nuclear age is over.

[edit on 9-11-2008 by Buck Division]

I would like to point out the best member debate I have read on ATS. It is called Uranium-The Other Green Energy Source. Both sides are debated well with plenty of links and sources. But I really do not know who would oppose Nuclear Power after reading Memoryshock's brilliant argument. It also includes what the real effects of the Chernobyl incident were. I think most people will be surprised to find out.

I felt this is a good place to link to this since many still have unwarranted fears about Nuclear Power.

When I first ran across this about Hyperion doing the work, I thought hey a good investment play but found that they are a private compant. Then I tried to find a public compay that was tied into the development but haven't found one.
Dang.
If you find one, let us know.

reply to post by Rotoplooker


Does this make me feel warm and fuzzy all over?
Currently there is still no solution for Radioactive Waste or
Transportation of Nuclear Material or Storage of Nuclear Material.
And Nukyellar Power isn't that cheap.

I love the Costing on this, a one of Payment for $250 or 5 payments of
$50 and pay with credit card and recieve a free Ab-King Pro absolutly free.

So after you pay your $250, no more bills then. Riiiiight, Pfft where's the
money in that. Like Solar Powered cars, Never happen.

reply to post by skeptic_al


Surely you do realize the size of the market for this? Even if they could produce 1,000 of these a year, the demand would be virtually endless. As far as waste that these power plants produce, it is an incredibly small amount compared to coal or oil. What do we do with that waste?

Ugh! Scumbags!

It cheaper to have your entire roof coated with the latest solar panels. and they dont need to be regulary maintained.

reply to post by Cool Hand Luke


The waste produced by these mini's is "a good candidate for fuel recycling". Not sure what that means, but the optimist in me says it's a good thing.

Apparently, Hyperion already has the pipeline in place for the manufacture of several hundred of these.

reply to post by Buck Division


I hate nucluor power and you should, do you hate living on oil?

Well Nucleor power require Isotpes, this is the new oil when it runs out.

Dont you SEE?!! Nothing will Effing change, when the oil runs out, it will be the same guys in friggin charge!.

But by then they will have collapse the monetary sytems, Gone to world war, and Conpired, all over a useless OIL...

Except now its Nucleur fuel......

Nuclear Power relies on Radioactive Compounds~ The richest countrys in this are now the SUPERPOWERS!

[rants:IDIOTS!!)

reply to post by monkeybus


When you are talking about a remote village in Africa with no potable water, or economical source of energy to power hospitals and schools and industries, solar is nothing more than a curiosity. We're not talking about powering your incandescent lightbulbs here; we're talking world-changing technology. These mini-nukes are the way to go.

Originally posted by Cool Hand Luke
I would like to point out the best member debate I have read on ATS. I really do not know who would oppose Nuclear Power after reading Memoryshock's brilliant argument. It also includes what the real effects of the Chernobyl incident were. I think most people will be surprised to find out.

How could I have missed that debate? Thanks Cool Hand, I will review.

Chernobyl killed 20,000 people immediately, sterilized a region the size of Delaware. Today, nobody can safely approach within 10 miles of the Chernobyl reactor. And that condition will persist for the at least the next 100 years.

No!! Not really!! That is 100% false, although many people believe that fiction completely.

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The actual truth: The Chernobyl disaster affected two reactors in the Chernobyl complex. The other three reactors continued to operate, fully staffed, during the whole crises and for more than fifteen years afterwards. The operational reactors were just across the street from the two damaged reactors. Careful monitoring of those working reactors showed no ill effects to the employees due to radiation, even after many years.

Within a few days after the Chernobyl disaster, radiation levels dropped to approximately the same level as someone who works in a granite office building. (Yes, granite is radioactive also.)

The area around Chernobyl is now lush and rich with wildlife, mainly because humans have left the area out of fear.

Most strangely, total death by cancer significantly DROPPED after Chernobyl (due mainly to increased medical checkups after the disaster.) The only significant increase in cancer was thyroid cancer. The increase was small, and thyroid cancer is easily treated.

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I get the above facts from a thread I authored in February, available here, with many citations and links available to back me up.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

If I sound passionate on this subject, it is because I use to buy into the idea that nuclear power was dangerous. When I investigated and learned the truth, I felt seriously duped!

It is really a mystery how people can become so afraid of something like nuclear power, and yet totally accept as commonplace the horrific danger associated with driving in a car.

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I will carefully review that debate thread you suggested. Thanks!

[edit on 9-11-2008 by Buck Division]

reply to post by jsobecky


Those images you see on TV of Africa are a false Representation, they dont live in Cavetimes.

The Food/water/medical aid shortages, in Remote Villages is why they are so unhappy.

Eletricity, is a small part of our Civilisation, remember what it was like before it?

NO because the People who do are all dead! and guess what they didnt die because they didn't have nuclear power. Neither did the dinosaurs!.

I like Nuclear

what to do with the waste is always this big question

To me the answer is apparent

There is a Planet right next door... that given a big core injection of heavy elements would come back to life and have a magnetic field again...

I say, we inject it all right into the core of Mars when the technology to do so is mastered and get us another planet

reply to post by Buck Division


Go on holiday there then. But do you like WMDS ALSO?

reply to post by mopusvindictus


..........i really dont know what to say.

How will the Nuclear waste bring it 'back to life'

It doesnt need it in my opinion, and i dont think you should be messing with it until you can work out your native planet.

Originally posted by jsobecky

The waste produced by these mini's is "a good candidate for fuel recycling". Not sure what that means, but the optimist in me says it's a good thing.

It is definitely a good thing as most of the material can be recycled. I wish would have saved that website that I was looking at where it explained in detail of how much exactly they could recycle and what the time period was for storage. But I remember both were impressive numbers.

Apparently, Hyperion already has the pipeline in place for the manufacture of several hundred of these.

I think this is a huge step in the right direction. After decades of environmentalists pushing congress to block progress of nuclear power, they now have to realize that not only is this the best answer for the environment, it also the best answer for getting power to many many more people around the world. They really only have 2 choices for which power supply they want to power the world; Coal or Nuclear. I'll let them decide which one is the smarter choice.

reply to post by monkeybus


Okay, sure. Whatever you said.

reply to post by monkeybus


The biggest problem is that the Martian core is inactive, apparently whatever hit it scattered the stuff at the center and the reaction at the core and heavy metals and nickel and Iron no longer give off a Magnetic field

without the shield, the surface is exposed to cosmic rays, the atmosphere burns off...

In theory, enough heavy metals and radioactive elements should reignite the core

The pressure at the enter should do the work, dump the stuff in th heat starts melting the surrounding metals again, the planet becomes volcanic again and has a magnetic field, co2 gets pumped from the surface and the field holds it from burning off....

and as far as the fix Earth First

I don't actually know whats wrong with Earth, other than we are just learning how to handle these things...

I'm not with the whole Humanity sucks thing...

I think Puberty sucks and thats all this is

Awkward, learning to be responsible

Go to Mars or don't?

When you out grow your parents house you get your own apt... there is a whole Universe out there, it will be a long, long time until we can wreck it

and Mars is a useless rock atm, hanging there... an apt no one else seems to want to rent

why not use it... every kid has to learn and holding back and not trying doesn't help

This sounds like a great idea. I guess my only beef is is it me or does it seem like our government is doing everything in its power to NOT use solar or wind energy. There is no waste and its free. There is no worry about dirty bombs or meltdowns. I mean it just seems to me like they are avoiding it at all costs. Maybe Im wrong.

reply to post by mybigunit

Originally posted by mybigunit
This sounds like a great idea. I guess my only beef is is it me or does it seem like our government is doing everything in its power to NOT use solar or wind energy. There is no waste and its free. There is no worry about dirty bombs or meltdowns. I mean it just seems to me like they are avoiding it at all costs. Maybe Im wrong.

No, I don't think anyone is intentionally suppressing solar or wind. They have their applications, and their limitations, namely, that you have to rely on a co-operative Mother Nature to survive. That and their efficiency is quite limited to very local applications.

For reliable, critical, uninterruptible energy sources, solar and wind just don't cut it yet. Maybe they never will. I cannot see a hospital or airport, etc., relying on them.

reply to post by mybigunit


Speaking of wind generators (I like 'em but this is pretty bitchin'):