Nuclear Poker

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Who will blink first? Since Ontario's first bid didn't work, they have thrown all the cards up in the air and demanded money! How much is enough?

I would love a 'rational' nuclear plant, but I've written enough, and done enough study to think we can never do it. We are heading for a Japan-style lost decade, where our trusted institutions fail us, and we were horribly dependent on them, just like Japan.

I blame the intrusion of modern technology on the ancient Victorian power structures. That enabled them to get rid of any 'boat rockers' and ensure total self-similarity. I will eventually see progress when these ancient institutions dissolve, much like GM. I would hope that a new intelligent force for nuclear eventually rises.

I don't think we can live without nuclear in the long term. We are not pricing electricity futures correctly, if we are short, and need it for electric cars, etc. I don't think we can have a high-tech economy if we can't do anything right.

So, as it now stands, new nuclear is horribly expensive because of institutional incompetence. The waste problem is mired in stupidity, so that adds to the cost. We are headed to a giant inverse cliff in the future, where our old plants fall apart because of poor operation (I should know!). When we hit this cliff, the price of electricity will go through the roof, and there is never a good wind in the summer!

But NORM! has graced my blog, so I'm happy and am off to go drinking at the brother-in-law's cottage! After the cottage season, we can sit back and watch the Toronto earthquake hit our nuclear plants (what fun!) :) And we can listen to the Bruce people on how they aren't going to use any grout for the deep geology disposal! And I almost forgot watching the concrete lining at Niagara crumble under the merciless forces of rock squeeze. :)