Manifesto for Nuclear Waste - II

A continuation of Part I.

If we want to get anywhere with nuclear waste, we will have to deal with the 'free-rider' problem. This week's Economist outlines the problem with the Kyoto treaty. Although I think it is more likely that the current world warming spell has nothing to do with carbon, it is nevertheless a Bad Thing to be dumping lots of carbon into the atmosphere. Kyoto attempts to cut back on the carbon dumping.

Australia and the US would be perfectly happy to let everybody else cut back, so they could be 'free-riders'. In other words, they would enjoy the benefits of less atmospheric acid, while having no cost on their economies. The trouble is, that when other people see this, then they don't want to play either!

This boils down to the Prisoners' Dilemma, which is described in the article. The gloomy outlook is that everybody betrays everybody else, and we all end up in the acid soup. This can be solved, if everybody knows it's a game, and there is the possibility for sanctions (tit for tat). This sets up long-term cooperation, and is the basis for a functioning society.

Now, in Ontario, we have lots of free-riders, in terms of nuclear implications. The London area is perfectly happy to have a new Toyota plant, which needs reliable electricity, and yet would scream about nuclear waste. The same goes for most prosperous areas in Ontario.

There are very few areas in Ontario with suitable geology, and very few towns that don't want to be free-riders. These combined probabilities make it nearly impossible to find a town with good geology, willing to take a nuclear facility. The happy-happy people with their feel-good brochure, would have us believe that we can find a willing host with good geology. That is a big lie, people!

As the Economist points out, we need to play the game over and over again, and place sanctions against the free-riders. This would be in form of higher electricity prices to those who are shit-heads. Nobody would be excused from the type of facility outlined in this manifesto (except Hamilton! Their geology is hopeless!). Any town that rises above the normal NIMBY protests, would get hit with sanctions. No excuses about property values, or population density. You get electricity, you have to bear the burden!

The next section deals with the fact that this will not be a huge burden to the namby-pamby sissy-pants towns!