To quote the description of these posts: Seven authors – who have no official connection to Vermont Yankee, or to Entergy, have provided their opinions on the shutdown of the plant, its implications for the region, and possible implications for other nuclear plants in other areas of the country.
The authors are all nuclear advocates and/or pro-nuclear bloggers.
Today's post: It's the Politics, Not the Economics
Today's post has two authors. I'm the first author. My part is titled: The Price Is Not the Lesson. I argue that the statement "it's just an economic decision" works as protective cover for plant owners and it works for plant opponents. However, the real reasons for closure include political opposition and heavy, targetted taxation.
The second author is Les Corrice, blogger at Hiroshima Syndrome. His website hosts two blogs: Fukushima Accident Updates and Fukushima Commentary. Corrice is also author of two books about the Fukushima accident.
Corrice's section is titled: The Unspoken Reason for Closure. As he writes: "In my opinion, the economic rationale is a smoke screen for an unspoken, over-riding reason. V-Y has been under a socio-political attack for decades."
No, Corrice and I did not coordinate or collaborate on our posts. It's more a great-minds-think-alike situation! I encourage you to read the entire post at ANS Nuclear Cafe and to comment on it.
Other posts, with other ideas, written by other bloggers, will be coming soon.
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Yesterday, in the Valley News, I had a guest column on the front page of the "Perspective" section of the Sunday paper. In a few days, I will reprint the column at this blog. In the meantime, I hope this link works. Why Electricity Costs Spiked. (I don't control the illustrations for my columns, of course. I am pleased that this column is illustrated with a very nice picture of Vermont Yankee.)
1 comment:
Re: "Today, the American Nuclear Society blog, ANS Nuclear Cafe, started a series of posts that analyze Vermont Yankee's closing."
Like the President in "Dr. Strangelove" remarking on the rants of a mad general, there ain't nothing to "analyze". The nuclear community FAILED big time at outdoing "Puppy Rescue" at promoting itself and educating the public wholesale about nuclear energy in the wake of TMI. End of "analysis." I guarantee you, Tylenol and BP Gulf didn't sit down to soul-search about their stained reputations. They used common street knowledge in jumping up and pounding the PR beat and big time Ads to stroke public assurance and hence political favor again.
Or are simple solutions just too complex even for atomic scientists to understand?
James Greenidge
Queens NY
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