Quote Originally Posted by Peter McGurk View Post
Some of the observed phenomena may well be headline catching but headline catching is what you have to do to get a message over. A number of Science (Non-)Fictionists (Arthur C Clarke, Asimov) have put the basis of the science forward for many years prior to the 1970s in rather more scientific terms than the genre suggests. They've been followed by more pointed commentators such as James Lovelock and others. And for just as many years they have been dismissed as Science Fantasists or Loony Lefties with an axe to grind against capitalist society. (If that's not vested and self-interest and bias, I don't know what is).
James Lovelock discovered the atmosphere of Mars for NASA and then looked at the Earth forming the Gaia theory. The earth is all one system that makes it unique. The oceasn, land and and air all interact and create a self controlling system. That is severely being damaged.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_hypothesis



Lovelock rightly says there is nothing wrong with nuclear. Radiation is a part of our makeup. He says the earth is a full system where the sea, atmosphere and land all combines to form a self controlling atmosphere which makes the earth different to all other planets. It is being destroyed by fossil fuel burning.

He points out Chernobyl has an off limits area to humans, but animals are flurishing in the radioactive area and flora and fauna is booming. Radiation helps growth with some plants twice to three as big as before. He said there are far more animals - OK they may live 10% less because of higher than normal radiation levels but there are far, far more of them. Because of this he advocates using the rainforests as a place to store spent nuclear fuel. Humans are away and the forests boom reinstating the earth's lungs and wildlife as well. Two birds killed with one stone.

Lovelock points out that air travel is safe because of international regulations and inspection of plane construction, maintenance and procedures. That can be done with nuclear power stations. Chernobyl failed because of human error and other aspects were not that bright inthe design. International regulations would prevent this from occuring.

The newer Japanese nuclear plant in the eathquake, has two or three outer shells - an explosion was contained. We know more now since the Windscale and Chernobyl disasters. All nuclear power stations should be under an international ruling and international inspectors to ensure procedures and construction and maintenance is up to standards - like bridges are periodically surveyed. The likes of the Japanese plant would never have been built on the coast in a tidal-wave zone.

We have no other choice over using fossil fuel as wind, solar etc cannot cope with all demand. Cars, buses, trains, domestic heating, small planes etc, will be electric. Nuclear is the short to mid term answer until we come up with a better way of harnessing energy. China is opening a power station per week - all coal burning. It is that serious. Only international cooperation will save us from our own greed and stupidity.

All will be clean electric.
300 Years of FOSSIL FUELS in 300 Seconds....