1/23: Energy makes the world go around. Many are questioning our dependence on non-domestic energy. What about #nuclear?
Starting my deep dive with Gwyneth Cravens book: Power to Save the World.
A 🧵 with excerpts from first 3 chapters:
Starting my deep dive with Gwyneth Cravens book: Power to Save the World.
A 🧵 with excerpts from first 3 chapters:
2/23: Chapter 1: Survival
"Look at the big picture. If you got all of your electricity for your lifetime from nuclear power, your total share of waste would weigh two pounds and fit into one Coke can. Of that, only a trace is long-lived."
"Look at the big picture. If you got all of your electricity for your lifetime from nuclear power, your total share of waste would weigh two pounds and fit into one Coke can. Of that, only a trace is long-lived."
3/23: Chapter 1: Survival (cont'd)
If an American got all of his or her electricity from coal over a lifespan of seventy-seven years, that person's mountain of solid waste would weight 68.5 tons. Picture a soda can next to that.
If an American got all of his or her electricity from coal over a lifespan of seventy-seven years, that person's mountain of solid waste would weight 68.5 tons. Picture a soda can next to that.
4/23: Coal Update: Demand set to return to all-time high in 2022
iea.org/news/global-co…
iea.org/news/global-co…
5/23: Chapter 1: Survival (cont'd)
"Nuclear plants in Western Europe and the US have never killed anyone." #Chernobyl failed because the reactor was badly designed and badly managed..."
pmcolumn.com/chernobyl-mana…
"Nuclear plants in Western Europe and the US have never killed anyone." #Chernobyl failed because the reactor was badly designed and badly managed..."
pmcolumn.com/chernobyl-mana…
6/23: Chapter 1: Survival (cont'd)
"If you went and sat on the fence of a coal-fired plant you'd likely get a much bigger radiation dose than you would if it was a nuclear plant. A nuclear plant that emitted as much radiation as a coal-fired plant would be shut down."
"If you went and sat on the fence of a coal-fired plant you'd likely get a much bigger radiation dose than you would if it was a nuclear plant. A nuclear plant that emitted as much radiation as a coal-fired plant would be shut down."
7/23: More information on coal radiation. A decade old, so maybe things have improved?
scientificamerican.com/article/coal-a…
scientificamerican.com/article/coal-a…
8/23: Chapter 1: Survival (cont'd)
"As they make up 51 percent of our electricity, coal-fired plants cause the premature death of twenty-four thousand Americans every year as well as hundreds of thousands of cases of lung and cardiovascular disease."
"As they make up 51 percent of our electricity, coal-fired plants cause the premature death of twenty-four thousand Americans every year as well as hundreds of thousands of cases of lung and cardiovascular disease."
9/23: The last excerpt is dated. Today, in the US we get ~ 22% of electricity from coal, and a lot more from Natural Gas (~38%) and Renewables (~20%). (Source: EIA)
10/23: But, the burning of #fossilfuel (coal included) is still killing lots of people around the globe.
hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/news/…
hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/news/…
11/23: Chapter 2: Always Look at the Whole
"We get exposed every day to damaging radiation from nature—in fact our greatest dose by far is usually natural—but our bodies know how to deal with it."
"We get exposed every day to damaging radiation from nature—in fact our greatest dose by far is usually natural—but our bodies know how to deal with it."
13/23: Chapter 2: Always Look at the Whole (cont'd)
"One of the best containers of energy on our particular planet happens to be matter in the form of uranium."
"One of the best containers of energy on our particular planet happens to be matter in the form of uranium."
14/23: Here is a 25 year price chart of #uranium
15/23: Chapter 3: Ambrosia Lake
"The Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that national reserves of uranium of good quality and within reach of present mining technology add up to about eleven hundred million pounds, or about half a million metric tons."
"The Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that national reserves of uranium of good quality and within reach of present mining technology add up to about eleven hundred million pounds, or about half a million metric tons."
16/23: Chapter 3: Ambrosia Lake (cont'd)
"Epidemiologists and the National Academy of Sciences agree that, since 1972, safety regulations and education have made uranium mining no more dangerous than any other kind."
"Epidemiologists and the National Academy of Sciences agree that, since 1972, safety regulations and education have made uranium mining no more dangerous than any other kind."
17/23: Chapter 3: Ambrosia Lake (cont'd)
"Most future uranium mining will use in-situ leaching, with far less surface environmental impact,” Rip said. “Future impacts on the aquifer are unknown, but leaching won't require anything close to the fossil-fuel combustion..."
"Most future uranium mining will use in-situ leaching, with far less surface environmental impact,” Rip said. “Future impacts on the aquifer are unknown, but leaching won't require anything close to the fossil-fuel combustion..."
19/23: Chapter 3: Ambrosia Lake (cont'd)
“Nuclear power emits virtually no greenhouse gases. The complete nuclear power chain, from uranium mining to waste disposal, and including reactor and facility construction, emits only two to six grams of carbon per kilowatt-hour."
“Nuclear power emits virtually no greenhouse gases. The complete nuclear power chain, from uranium mining to waste disposal, and including reactor and facility construction, emits only two to six grams of carbon per kilowatt-hour."
20/23: Where do US greenhouse gases come from? Mostly from fossil fuels (79%). And the rest from landfills, coal mines, agriculture, oil & natgas operations, nitrogen fertilizers, industrial & waste management processes, & human-made industrial gases like Hydrofluorocarbons (EIA)
21/23: Chapter 3: Ambrosia Lake (cont'd)
“One [uranium] fuel pellet contains the same amount of energy as
• 149 gallons of oil,
• 157 gallons of regular gasoline,
• 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, or
• 1,780 pounds of coal"
“One [uranium] fuel pellet contains the same amount of energy as
• 149 gallons of oil,
• 157 gallons of regular gasoline,
• 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, or
• 1,780 pounds of coal"
22/23: Chapter 3: Ambrosia Lake (cont'd)
"To make the amount of electricity needed to keep a single 100-watt lightbulb on for a year, you'd have to burn 876 pounds of coal, about 350 pounds of natural gas, 508 pounds of oil, or 0.0007 pounds of uranium enriched to 4 percent."
"To make the amount of electricity needed to keep a single 100-watt lightbulb on for a year, you'd have to burn 876 pounds of coal, about 350 pounds of natural gas, 508 pounds of oil, or 0.0007 pounds of uranium enriched to 4 percent."
23/23: Follow me as I continue my deep dive into Gwyneth Cravens' masterpiece about #nuclearenergy
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