Nuclear Waste
Silverstein's article "Nuclear Waste Still Troubles Industry" talks about the ongoing debate on what to do with our nuclear waste disposal. Our temporary places for nuclear power plants are above ground and people want it moved. After the nuclear accident in Japan last March due to backup power failure, everyone is on the edge of their seats to make sure new strategies are put into place. This should be done now not only because there is a plethora of damages and costs if an accident occurred, but also because it is our responsibility and we shouldn't wait and force future generations to solve our problem. We need a permanent solution that is safer and more efficient.
The Bush Administration created the "Global Nuclear Energy Partnership" to help recycle reactors by breaking them down into less hazardous materials. This never happened. The Obama administration stopped work on a nuclear waste site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. I feel like we have hit so many road blocks as money is an issue, location and politics as well. I know nuclear energy has played an important role in energy needs around the world, but I hope that we will step up to the challenge sooner rather than later.
World Nuclear News
North Korea continues to make nuclear bombs with nuclear fuel waste (such as reprocessed plutonium) and South Korea wants to reprocess spent fuel as well. We are allies with South Korea, but oppose the idea of them doing this. Seoul, S. Korea's capital is leaning towards having a complete "fuel cycle" in which they recycle their uranium and becoming a global exporter of nuclear reactors and building an enrichment plant. The treaty they made with Washington prevents them from doing this and so far it has stopped them, but they are trying to get the treaty revised. As of today, both countries are pushing around the idea of a 10-year joint study of new management options for nuclear waste via pyroprocessing, etc. Many view South Korea as a role model for not resorting to enrichment or recycling thus far and tensions are high. I do not know how I feel about this. I have friends from South Korea and they said they don't believe a war is possible or probable and as we are allies, I think it may be safe to let them do so even though I don't entirely agree with the reasons they have for resorting to this.
Today an article by Charlie Osborne was posted entitled "Artist creates geeky decor from e-waste". Of course it sparked my interest because previously I made a blog about electronic waste in an earlier post. An artist from Chile named Rodrigo Alonso has made art out of keyboards, cables, etc. A few of his creations are featured below:
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| http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/a-long-long-road-to-recycling-nuclear-fuel/?ref=nuclearwastes |
World Nuclear News
North Korea continues to make nuclear bombs with nuclear fuel waste (such as reprocessed plutonium) and South Korea wants to reprocess spent fuel as well. We are allies with South Korea, but oppose the idea of them doing this. Seoul, S. Korea's capital is leaning towards having a complete "fuel cycle" in which they recycle their uranium and becoming a global exporter of nuclear reactors and building an enrichment plant. The treaty they made with Washington prevents them from doing this and so far it has stopped them, but they are trying to get the treaty revised. As of today, both countries are pushing around the idea of a 10-year joint study of new management options for nuclear waste via pyroprocessing, etc. Many view South Korea as a role model for not resorting to enrichment or recycling thus far and tensions are high. I do not know how I feel about this. I have friends from South Korea and they said they don't believe a war is possible or probable and as we are allies, I think it may be safe to let them do so even though I don't entirely agree with the reasons they have for resorting to this.
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| http://edigitales.org/fukushima-nuclear-power-plant/ |
In Germany, many have met to discuss solutions for permanent disposal and their plan is to shut down all nuclear power plants in the country by 2022. Japan is still recovering from their huge radiation incident in Fukushima and hope to build a geological disposal facility soon. They have doubled or even tripled the amount of non-spent fuel and high-level waste (Murray Jennex) and the demand for storage is a huge issue. Now that more people are aware of the damages as a possibility in our lifetime, many countries are looking for better alternatives.
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| He is calling it "N+ew", meaning 'No more electronic waste' |
Today an article by Charlie Osborne was posted entitled "Artist creates geeky decor from e-waste". Of course it sparked my interest because previously I made a blog about electronic waste in an earlier post. An artist from Chile named Rodrigo Alonso has made art out of keyboards, cables, etc. A few of his creations are featured below:
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| http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/artist-creates-geeky-decor-from-e-waste/22196 |
Today, Italian divers gave up their search for survivors from the wreck making an estimated death toll of 32 people as it is a safety hazard to even enter the ship. The weather has not been great and the threat of the ship slipping off the shelf towards the seabed is still in the air. Fuel pumpage should start in the next 12 hours.
Read More:
E-Waste News
Is Nuclear Fuel Really Waste?
Wanted: Parking Space for Nuclear Waste
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