I have had the privilege, during my four years at the Colorado School of Mines, to have had one of the neatest, smartest, and all-around-coolest professors at Mines...Dr. Ed Cecil. Dr. Cecil has been my professor for Modern Physics, Astrophysics, and currently Nuclear Energy. From the very first day that I embarked on this blog, I knew that I could get some detailed information and some worthy opinions from him and so now I have decided to pursue it further.
Today I did a short interview with Dr. Cecil about nuclear energy and the problems it faces today and in the future. First off I would like to start off with Dr. Cecil's credentials. In 1966, he graduated with a B.S. in Physics from the University of Maryland and in 1972 he received a doctorate in Physics from Princeton. So we now know he is smart...but what does he do? Dr. Cecil does research on fusion plasma diagnostics (sorry but this is over my head). One of the coolest things I discovered about him today was that he is the one credited with measuring the cross-section of a gamma-ray (in the basement of Meyer Hall)! How cool is that? Now on with the interview:
In terms of "science" ( i.e leaving politics out if you can) what do you see as nuclear energy's biggest obstacle? In other words what is the most significant obstacle impeding it from becoming the world's largest energy source?
For fission reactors by far it is the problem with waste disposal. Where do we put the stuff produced? Also, you have the fact that from the same technology you can make bombs.
What advancements, if any, must be made in nuclear energy technology before America will accept it as say France does?
Once again...waste disposal. You have this plan to put it in Yucca Mountain, Nevada but of course Nevada is saying "noooo". It sounds like a great idea until they ask to put it in your state. What it's going to take for nuclear energy to be accepted in America is the people have to want it. Right now there is a lot of unrest in the Middle East...we could see something like the oil embargo that took place before you were born. If this happens people might realize that we need another solution and the solution is nuclear...we just have to find a place to put the waste.
What do you think should be done with nuclear waste?
I like the idea of Yucca Mountain. It makes sense...you don't have to worry about the waste getting into the ground water. Yucca Mountain is in the great basin and therefore there are no rivers that flow out of that area so the nuclear waste is just gonna sit there.
What is your take on France's underwater nuclear reactor plans?
If having underwater nuclear reactors prevents LOCA's (Loss of coolant accidents) then it sounds like a good idea. But anytime you place something underwater where it is harder to monitor and you have a liquid environment things are going to be more difficult. I do like the idea of small reactors though, if something is smaller it has the potential to be safer because it is easier to control, you also have less Plutonium produced, and it should be a lot easier to manufacture.
In 50 years where do you hope nuclear energy in America will be?
Fifty percent nuclear and fifty percent solar...no more oil.
For all those who stand against nuclear energy...if you could tell them one thing what would it be?
Consider the alternative. You have this idea of fossil fuels causing global warming and even with all the politics you have to admit there is a lot of data there.
In the end, I hope you all found this interview as interesting as I did. I think it just goes to show that even those highly in favor of nuclear energy understand that it is not a perfect system yet. However, instead of putting nuclear energy down and claiming that it will never work we should research and find a way to make it work for us. We already see that France is doing just fine with it...what are we waiting for America?
That was an interesting interview. I liked that you used a member of the Mines faculty. Now I just have one question. Based on the interview disposing of the nuclear waste is the biggest factor preventing the widespread use of nuclear energy and in many of your previous post you seem to say France in the leader in nuclear energy. My question is how does France dispose of their nuclear waste and not upset its population.
ReplyDeleteFrance does reprocess some of its waste, but right now uranium is so cheap that France doesn't have to do this. It stores its spent fuel on the plant site for about a year before it is moved to La Hague where it is all stored under the floor of a single room there. There really isn't that much high level waste from the plants, and France is proving that. Beside, when economically feasible, the waste can be reprocessed in France's reprocessing infrastructure and be used again. Kind of cool I think!
ReplyDeleteWow thanks for answering my question. I had no idea that France was just that bad ass when it came to nuclear energy.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your blog and learning more about nuclear energy. I enjoyed this interview with Dr. Cecil. Go Mines!
ReplyDeleteThis was really informative. I liked how you brought in an expert in the nuclear energy field and his perspective to answer questions that I had about nuclear energy.
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