Bringing the American Left on board for a clean nuclear future.
Teachable Moments
The blog also has a Facebook page Progressives for Nuclear Progress.
In his latest post I take a vacation and what happens? Will Davis at Atomic Power Review welcomes the new blog. Davis notes that Schmitz is an engineer, and I would like to note that Schmitz is a good writer. Let's look at his two most recent posts.
Teachable Moments
Schmitz (so far) has taken some news item or blog post about nuclear power, and made very thoughtful (and sometimes acerbic) comments. For example, in his post: "Fail-Safe"--when failure does NOT mean disaster, Schmitz critiques Entergy for its communication about some malfunctioning radiation monitors. Schmitz says that the problems with those monitors was a "teachable moment." He notes that "fail-safe" does not mean "this can never fail." It means: "Even if this fails, safety is not affected."
Progressives
In another post, Schmitz comments on the Breakthrough Institutes major post: Liberals and Progressives for Nuclear. As Schmitz says: "I have come to realize that we (liberals and progressives) cannot afford to continue sticking our heads in the sand when it comes to the one kind of power generation that is capable of providing ample energy at nearly zero carbon cost."
By the way: please read the Breakthrough Institute post on Liberals and Progressives for Nuclear. It features an impressive group of people, with impressive quotes. Paul Allen, Mark Lynas, Gwyneth Cravens, Stephen Tindale (former director of Greenpeace). Read it!
Slightly-off topic: Non-Progressives
The "other side of the aisle," is also noticing that more liberals and progressives are supporting nuclear nowadays. Joseph Somsel writes Nuclear Power's New Friends in American Thinker. He reviews Pandora's Promise. He basically likes the movie, but he warns the nuclear industry not to embrace climate change. Somsel writes: "As public opinion becomes more aware of the falsity of the claims of impending climate catastrophe, nuclear needs to maintain its distance. "
Well, I don't agree with Somsel about climate change, but there you are. Personally, I welcome all nuclear supporters, no matter what they think about global warming. Climate change is only one of many reasons to support nuclear energy.
Charles Barton
In any reasonable discussion of nuclear communication, all nuclear bloggers must acknowledge the leadership of Charles Barton of Nuclear Green Revolution. Barton has been blogging from an avowedly liberal political stance...since 2008! Other pro-nuclear blogs started earlier, and were written by liberals, but Barton is the person who explicitly combined the two topics.
I am always and eternally grateful to Charles Barton for his work in changing nuclear energy from a Republican-Democratic debate to..an energy discussion.
I am pleased to see Eric Schmitz's blog joining Barton's blog.
Progressives
In another post, Schmitz comments on the Breakthrough Institutes major post: Liberals and Progressives for Nuclear. As Schmitz says: "I have come to realize that we (liberals and progressives) cannot afford to continue sticking our heads in the sand when it comes to the one kind of power generation that is capable of providing ample energy at nearly zero carbon cost."
By the way: please read the Breakthrough Institute post on Liberals and Progressives for Nuclear. It features an impressive group of people, with impressive quotes. Paul Allen, Mark Lynas, Gwyneth Cravens, Stephen Tindale (former director of Greenpeace). Read it!
Slightly-off topic: Non-Progressives
The "other side of the aisle," is also noticing that more liberals and progressives are supporting nuclear nowadays. Joseph Somsel writes Nuclear Power's New Friends in American Thinker. He reviews Pandora's Promise. He basically likes the movie, but he warns the nuclear industry not to embrace climate change. Somsel writes: "As public opinion becomes more aware of the falsity of the claims of impending climate catastrophe, nuclear needs to maintain its distance. "
Well, I don't agree with Somsel about climate change, but there you are. Personally, I welcome all nuclear supporters, no matter what they think about global warming. Climate change is only one of many reasons to support nuclear energy.
Charles Barton
In any reasonable discussion of nuclear communication, all nuclear bloggers must acknowledge the leadership of Charles Barton of Nuclear Green Revolution. Barton has been blogging from an avowedly liberal political stance...since 2008! Other pro-nuclear blogs started earlier, and were written by liberals, but Barton is the person who explicitly combined the two topics.
I am always and eternally grateful to Charles Barton for his work in changing nuclear energy from a Republican-Democratic debate to..an energy discussion.
I am pleased to see Eric Schmitz's blog joining Barton's blog.
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