The solution to the nuclear waste problem is a little more of the hair of the dog that bit us. Fast Breeder Reactors can solve the nuclear waste problem for us. It is a little more problematic for the Iranians. Current heavy water reactors use only one percent of the available energy in the nuclear fuel. The waste products remain dangerous for thousands and thousands of years (over ten thousand I think) because they have a long half life. How do you store something safely for over ten thousand years? You don’t. You can’t. Reprocessing that fuel for fast breeder reactors can use the other 99% and the waste products that were left would only remain dangerous for a couple hundred years. Furthermore, the spent fuel rods could be reprocessed of site and would not have to be transported and exposed to risk. New fast breeder designs are also intrinsically safer than the current heavy water reactors. There is a good article about this in December 2005 issue of Scientific American. You can view at least part of the article at: www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&colID=1&articleID=000D5560-D9B2-137C-99B283414B7F0000
Nuclear power is also better for the environment because it does not add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. On the down side though, fast breeder reactors do produce bomb grade material - so that is a problem for nuclear proliferation unless the fuel cycle is tightly controlled through monitoring. Fast Breeder reactors can burn the bomb grade material that they produce as well as bomb grade material from decommissioned warheads.
The Iran Mess
This Iran mess is just one more example of this disgrace on the Presidency’s incompetence. He pushed Iran into it by naming them part of the axis of evil and by saying that he was coming after them. Then he wears our Army out and ties them down in Iraq - and he has never been any good at diplomacy - what a mess. then he claims the powers of a king through the theory of the Unitary Executive. He thinks that he is above the law. He thinks that he can still order torture inspite having signed the McCain anti-torture bill. He thinks that he can subvert the Constitution and order illegal warrant-less wiretaps on Americans. We need to drive the Unitary Executive out of power. It is the hope that I see and there is precious little of it. There is a protest being organised to correspond with his state of the union address on Jan 31 around the country and in Washington on Feb. 4. Information is available at www.worldcantwait.org
Consumer (Cŏn-sūm΄-ĕrr) noun. 1.) American.
Creationism (crē- ā –shun-iz΄- ĕm) noun. 1.) The whimsical, inventive, production of news stories by Fox News. 2.) Synonymous with “Intelligent Design” 3.) A faith based belief that God magically produced the universe. 4.) Intelligence about WMD. 5.) The faith based belief that events in the natural universe must have an extra-natural / supernatural cause.
Death Tax (Dĕath΄ Tăx) noun. 1.) The unfair gouging of the rich after they are dead. As in: I stole billions of dollars from the poor and working class, but I should not have to pay a death tax, because I should be able to take it with me, and / or my children should be entitled to live as aristocrats without ever having to make a meaningful contribution to society.
Disassembling (Dǐs-ă-sĕm-blēng) 1.) Bushism for dissembling. As in: George Bush really disassembles the truth. 2.) Bush doctrine to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. As in: Bush is disassembling the Constitution of the United States of America because he thought that his oath of office only applied to preserving, protecting and defending the actual piece of paper. See Strict Constructionist.
