Sunday, July 10, 2011

Vermont, Canada and the World: Dr. Andy Cook on Energy Choices

Recently, I was complaining to a friend about the amount of time it takes to fuss with a presentation and get it right. I am trying to get my slide show (more or less, my Putney School slide show) ready to post on the web. My friend asked if I had seen the Andy Cook videos; he thought they might be helpful to me.

I was aware that Vermont Yankee has its own YouTube channel. When I went to the channel, though, it took me a moment to find the Andy Cook videos. Apparently, Dr. Cook gave this presentation about Vermont's Energy Future at Vermont Yankee sometime last summer. It is posted on YouTube in three parts. The video contains a wide-ranging overview of world energy needs, the use of fossil energy, Vermont/ Canadian relationships, and the role of Vermont Yankee.

Dr. Andrew Cook

Dr. Andrew Cook is a vice-president at AREVA. He grew up in Canada. Cook went to graduate school at M.I.T. in nuclear engineering at the same time Howard Shaffer was a graduate student. (I have never met Dr. Cook.) Cook now lives in Maine and is a citizen of the United States. He is an avid hiker and outdoorsman.

I decided to embed these videos in my blog today because I found them very informative on areas I rarely cover . For example, Cook describes the effect of the James Bay project on Canada. He also explains how the big things we hear about (the BP spill for example) are not one-offs, but part of an on-going set of predictable accidents.

I hope you enjoy the videos.






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3 comments:

  1. Bill RodgersJuly 13, 2011 at 2:03 PM

    Great video. Thanks for making it available through your blog as I do not typically go to the VY website.

    I especially liked Dr Cook's comparison of school teachers time in the classroom to wind power. That really adds immense value to the discussion about how wind works and what it takes to support wind on a grid.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Meredith AngwinJuly 14, 2011 at 6:44 PM

    Thanks Bill, and thanks for tweeting about the videos!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Meredith AngwinJuly 18, 2011 at 8:40 PM

    I posted this post twice! I don't know how that happened.

    At any rate, here is the comment received on the duplicate posting. I will delete that posting.
    -----------

    http://atomicinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC01978.jpg

    Re: That Wales wind farm pic

    Unreal.

    And Vermonters would sacrifice their scenic heritage with monster whiriligigs like those because of FEAR of what MIGHT happen with a tiny footprint nuclear power site?? I hope they get hip real fast of the _reality_ of the corrupted natural vistas they'd be leaving their children -- not to speak local property values. I can't imagine spoiling the Catskills and Adirondacks like this! What a sight following you up the Thruway!

    James Greenidge

    ReplyDelete

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