The ground hadn’t stopped shaking. Tsunami waters had not receded. And yet coverage of this awful natural disaster – a scene of almost unfathomable devastation and death – was already giving way to single-minded focus on radiation exposure and meltdowns.
Holland has long been known for its tulips, wooden clogs and, of course, windmills. So it’s probably not surprising when the European Union moved to increase its use of renewable energy, Holland was among the first to jump on board the windmill bandwagon.
The earthquake and tsunami in Japan delivered a devastating one-two punch to that island nation and to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. So what does much of the world do? You guessed it. They blamed the designers, builders and operators of the nuclear plant for not doing a good enough job.
The recent tragic events in Japan have brought the issue of nuclear energy to the forefront of public discussion. While radical environmentalists have exploited the issue to advance anti-nuclear policies, others have tried to defend this important energy source on the grounds of its importance to our economy and standard of living. Missing in the discussion is the fact that important breakthroughs in nuclear engineering should now be given proper vetting – developments that could reduce or eliminate the threat of nuclear meltdown.In order to grasp the significance of these breakthroughs, a basic understanding of the development of nuclear power technology [...]
By Evelyn MervineThis Q&A briefing provides a concise overview of much of what you need to know on the nuclear emergency in Japan. Nuclear engineer Mark Mervine gave this interview to his daughter Evelyn Mervine. It was originally posted on her blog, Skepchick. Mark and Evelyn Mervine are not associated with CFACT. My name is Mark Mervine. I graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1981, and went into the Navy nuclear power program. I was in submarines, and while I was in the Navy I qualified on two different types of Navy nuclear power plants and served as an [...]