Sunday, December 16, 2012

If Only We Could Clone Enough Monkeys...

A new Renewable Energy solution for the world.

It seems the Renewables Energy debate has reached new levels of hype and hysteria recently, with arguments descending into assinine number crunching to justify titanic expenditure requirements.

"If we put 400 sq miles under solar panels in the middle of the Sahara...."
"It would only take 93,000 windmills on 39 windfarms 30 miles off the coast of...."
"We only need to re-cable 358,000 klms to upgrade the grid across the countries of...."

Holy crap. It's gotten so bad that I've come up with a new Renewable Energy designed with something for everyone:

Monkey Power

Here are some of the benefits:
  • It's renewable.
  • It's low-carbon (zero carbon during operation with methane storage).
  • It works 24/7/365.
  • It can replace coal *and* gasolene (put some monkeys in your car!)
  • It's more energy dense than wind or solar.
  • It doesn't need any additional grid requirements over that of solar or wind.
  • You can put the power stations anywhere. Only the survival of the monkeys need be considered.

In short, it covers all the Climate Change mitigation requirements - and does it better than solar or wind!

We only have a few things to do to get this up and running. I estimate we only need about 15 monkeys per person, with enough storage for 3 extras to allow for intermittency due to fatigue or death.

The choice of monkey species is important. It must be low-carbon, clone-friendly and strong enough to last at least 5 years to allow for growth of new monkeys to replace them.

Waste management is an issue. Monkey poo is pretty toxic, but we can recycle it to grow the renewable fuel - bananas.

We will need at least 20 bananas per day per monkey.

And we'd need one bicycle per monkey and 10% extra for maintenance repacements, etc.

So we're going to need the following basic materials (allowing for a world human population of around 9 billion):
  1. 135,000,000,000 operating monkeys
  2. 27,000,000,000 storage monkeys
  3. 9,900,000,000 bicycles
  4. 10,000,000,000 banana trees
  5. 9,900,000,000 bicycle generators
  6. 4,950,000,000 cubic metres of concrete (.5 per monkey station)
  7. 150 cloning labs (to grow 162,000,000,000 monkeys every 5 years)
  8. 500,000,000,000 square feet (11,478,420.5693297 acres) of fertile land under bananas (4 ft radius circle per tree)
Other considerations:
  • Best to site all power stations near the equator (but NOT on islands that may be underwater soon!).
  • Best to plant banana trees around the power stations to eliminate the need for transportation.
  • Grow a further 20% banana trees to allow for diseases.
  • Use straighter cavendish bananas. These may be packed more efficiently than bendy lady fingers.
  • Monkey poo processing should be done on site. We can't have this stuff moving around the country.
  • Methane from monkey 'gas excretions' can be used to provide lighting and power for the poo processors.

We should be able to get this up and running in under 10 years if we can get the co-operation of every country in the world and spend approximately 467.5 Trillion US Dollars.... OH SHIT - there's a problem! Bananas contain radioactivity!

Better scrap THIS idea, then!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Questions About Renewable Energy You Can (And Should) Ask

It seems that everyone around us is trying to convince us of the merits of various energy sources by quoting other people. Twitter is awash with tweets such as "What's the future of Wind Energy?" or "Can Solar meet the challenge?", and then go on to quote someone we don't know who lives in some far-away place, and who likely has their own agenda on energy, or may be paid to provide that report.

Can we verify that source? No, not really. We can Google the name in the hope we can get background information, but that rarely provides any real insight into the impartiality of the person, or their motives. Sometimes you get lucky, as I did with Jo Abbess, because she doesn't hide the fact that she's anti-nuclear, but mostly it's a closed book.

So we are largely left with our own values and judgements. How then, do we get the information we need to make an informed choice? In an earlier post I talked about using your own self-evident truths to evaluate what you read to sort out the crap from the credible. However the complexity of the science in some of these reports can make it very difficult to understand how the content applies against our yardsticks. Often the reports themselves are designed to hide the whole truth in favour of the author's intended message.

But there are some questions we can ask ourselves when reading about the leading renewable energy sources - Wind and Solar. Below I analyse some common basic questions and their current status. You will see there are questions still to be asked and answered:

  1. What happens when the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine? The current solution is a combination of one or more of:
    1. Backup storage This means batteries of some sort - either current technology such as lead-acid, or it can mean molten salts, or flywheels, or pumped water. Basically this option relies on there being excess energy generated above demand to charge the batteries.
    2. Redundant windmills and panels This means build much more capacity than we expect to need (overbuild) so that we guarantee we have energy to spare to provide power to other areas where the wind isn't blowing. This option identifies the need for transmission lines (aka 'Smart Grid') connecting Wind Farms and Solar plants across the country (and possibly the world).
    3. Standby coal or gas generators This is the current popular option used by Germany and others - gas is more popular because it can be switched off and on more readily than coal. This (gas) option is also driving the message that we don't need base-load power generation at all.
  2. How many windmills and solar panels do we need? You will find that this question doesn't have a definite answer. Because we can't predict the weather, we can't predict accurately the amount of wind. With solar we can more accurately predict sunshine, though. What is certain is the answer to this question will be 'an extremely large number'. You will also find that, as populations and economies grow, we will be constantly building and maintaining more.
  3. Can solar and wind do it alone? Currently even the staunchest allies of renewable energy have to admit "no, they can't". There will always need to be an on-demand backup generator that uses a fuel that does not directly depend on the weather (such as gas).
  4. How much is enough backup? The current answer is 'it depends'. It depends on the wind or sunlight available. With solar (and to an extent wind) it also depends on the season. In both cases this will vary with the region, energy demand, and the already changing climate.
  5. How much will this cost? This question is never answered adequately, because:
    1. It's a huge figure. Redundancy and backup storage do not generate energy on their own but at least triple the cost of Wind and Solar installations. And then there's the backup (gas) generators, and the need to constantly build new plants to keep up with energy demand.
    2. It's a constantly moving target. When your energy source relies on the weather, every second of every day is a variable that needs to be factored into every aspect of these technologies. How many blackouts do you think you can live with?
  6. Isn't climate change all bunkum? Do we need to change at all? That question no longer has any meaning. Your government and governments around the world are already forcing change upon you. Windmills and solar panels are heavily subsidised using tax-payer funds and huge sums are being invested. So instead of focusing on the already hopelessly bogged down debate on climate change, take a look at whether your money is being wisely invested.

Here are some more questions I ask myself about energy:

  • How much am I willing to pay for my energy?
  • Why would I want weather-dependent energy when I can have reliable, 24/7, guaranteed energy when I want it?
  • What high-capacity, safe, proven clean energy sources are there that are ready now and can be built quickly?
  • Why should we replace our entire electricity grid when we can replace gas and coal power stations directly with new, clean, non-emitting power stations that use what we already have?

So, if your opinion is that renewable energy systems such as solar and wind will solve all our energy and climate change problems, look again. There are serious questions that these technologies will never address. Relying on energy sources that rely on the weather is a self-evident and very expensive folly.

Take a good, long look at nuclear power. Don't just stop at Chernobyl or the 40-year old Fukushima plant (although if you scratch below the surface you may be quite surprised at the real story).

Investigate the new nuclear plant designs and see how the technology has evolved. If you want to see the future of nuclear, take a look at the liquid core designs at the cusp of commercialisation, such as the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor or the Thorium Molten Salt Reactor.

And finally, take a good look at what option will ultimately cost you the least.

Monday, June 11, 2012

A Response to Helen Caldicot

When I read this blog entry and the snide comments about Barry Brook provided by one of the commenters, I'm afraid I just had to respond.  I don't expect this response to be made visible because it rebuffs Helen's entire propaganda scheme, so I'm putting it here:

First, the blog entry is here: http://ifyoulovethisplanet.org/?p=6100&cpage=1#comment-1720

Now my comment:
I find it ironic that a blog called IF YOU LOVE THIS PLANET, would be so against nuclear power. If you love this planet, you should be finding solutions to global warming that work, not spreading fear about the only energy source with a chance to achieve that goal.

The message espoused by Helen Caldicot and others is naive in the extreme, and hasn’t been implemented because it’s unworkable in reality. Helen Caldicot’s views are outdated, misleading, and misguided.


How long are we going to wait for crackpot schemes to fail before we actually do something positive to combat global warming? Regardless of your feelings on nuclear power, it has proven itself many times over to be the safest of the energy sources, and the most abundant.


Barry Brook was one of you. He was staunch anti-nuclear all his life - until he realized renewables cannot work, and actually took the time to investigate all aspects of nuclear power. He recognizes that current reactors are old and need replacing, but he also recognizes that new designs are as safe as any energy source today.


It’s time for the people who LOVE THIS PLANET to start behaving like people who want to keep the biodiversity, the climate and the environment that means so much to us all.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

A Little Bit of Clarity

Over the past few months I have been accused on Twitter for being something that I'm not.

I have been accused of being pro-nuclear, anti-solar, anti-renewables, and absurdly, a paid member of the nuclear industry PR team!  I am none of these.

So I thought I would clarify my position on nuclear power, renewables and thorium, so that anyone who is inclined to believe the rantings of some individuals on the #Thorium Twitter thread may be directed here to correct their views on me.

My views are most accurately described as anti fossil fuel.  I am not against renewables, just deeply sceptical, and I am not pro-nuclear (per se).  Rather I see nuclear power as the best (only) alternative we have to fossil fuel burning.  And further, I see liquid core nuclear reactors as the ultimate power source for all of us.  Liquid core reactors are the definition of safe nuclear power, and are embodied in the Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) and the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR).

I see the burning of fossil fuel as a dirty, dangerous and unnecessary source of electrical power. It causes thousands of deaths every year and pollutes our air, water and land. The burning of coal is particularly obscene. Huge amounts of the stuff are mined and burned with little regard for the pollutants they release and lives they risk, both animal and human.  It is an outdated and obsolete technology we no longer need.

The world has since embraced the idea of so-called "renewable" energy.  Gigantic sums of money, time and effort have been expended in harnessing the sun and wind in the hope it can offset fossil fuels.  Unfortunately, after more than a decade of concentrated effort, these endeavours have actually accelerated the adoption and use of fossil fuels, rather than displaced them.  I was relieved to learn Japan will be re-starting reactors soon.  I expect Germany will follow.

And behind all of this activity is the ongoing debate on climate change. For me, the climate change debate is largely moot.  It serves only to show how selfish people are and how inept we are at working together for the common good.  Whether we are facing catastrophic climate change or not, I still want to see the burning of fossil fuel for energy stopped, and stopped soon.

Which brings me to the only energy source that makes sense - Nuclear power.  When I started looking into this more than a year and a half ago, I knew little of nuclear power.  It was an obscure, secretive energy source that seemed to be little used in the world. I was only really aware of it as the source of propulsion in the submarine stories I love to read and watch.

I only really started to take an interest when I heard of thorium.  Ironically it was that hoax story on thorium cars that peaked my curiosity.  Research on thorium led me to reactors, which led me to the history of nuclear power, and finally to radiation and the fear around it.  It has been a fascinating and illuminating journey.

I have read six books on nuclear power, reactors and radiation, and attended three international seminars on thorium and nuclear power.  I have also read numerous research papers, blogs, and critiques from both pro- and anti-nuclear sources, and I have had many debates on Twitter.  I have come to believe that the dangers posed by radiation are so overstated as to be absurd.  Some of the statements on radiation effects I have read are criminal, and have caused many more deaths through fear and panic than the radiation itself.

I have also come to believe that the dangers posed by nuclear reactors also very overstated and laced with the same fear that radiation invokes.  The nuclear event at Fukushima not only polarised the world's opinion of nuclear technology, it also also polarised the anti-nuclear community.  Significant numbers of people who were anti-nuclear all their lives have started to rethink their positions.

I don't hate anti-nuclear people.  In fact some of my best friends have clear anti-nuclear positions.  I find, however, that anti-nuclear sentiment is deeply rooted in a general ignorance of how nuclear power is made and the reactor technology it uses.  They don't realise that more than 440 reactors have been running for up to 50 years without significant problems, and they don't know the difference between a nuclear reactor and a nuclear weapon.

Most people simply haven't taken the time and effort to properly consider it - just like me a couple of years ago.  Well, I'm in this to change that as much as I can.

If you have any questions, please tweet me - MattRobinson65

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The biggest threat of all to the Renewable Energy industry

I have spent a lot of time exploring the pros and cons of all the various energy options being considered around the world, and of the risks and benefits of each, and I have come to the conclusion that there is a very large elephant in the room that no one really speaks of.  It's as if no one wants to admit to it's existence for fear it may actually be there.

But it is there, and it's a monster.

It's not whether renewable energy sources can provide adequate 24hr power to keep our economies going.

It's not whether the climate change science is true.

It's not even whether fossil fuels are responsible for climate change.

The elephant in the room is the prospect of safe nuclear power.

It's absolutely terrifying.  The thought that the billions (trillions) of dollars spent on fossil and renewable energy will be wasted, and the reputations of countless renewables advocates and government policy makers trashed, is simply too much to bear.

Unfortunately for all those people, safe, reliable, abundant nuclear energy is coming.  Whether it's China, or India, or the UK, or Russia, or Iran, or even the USA, someone is going to crack it.  It's going to happen before fusion - a long time before fusion, and when it happens, every windmill, solar panel, tidal engine, coal station, gas pipeline and fracking well faces complete obsolescence.

No matter what people say, energy density is king, and whomever has the densest energy source will hold the keys to the kingdom.  It is a simple, unassailable fact.

Not only is safe nuclear energy coming, it's going to be modular and portable.  It's going to be self-contained, manufactured.  It's not going to need water for cooling. It can be placed underground, inside a mountain, at the bottom of the ocean, anywhere where it's needed, and out of the way.

It's going to run largely unattended, be walk-away safe and proliferation safe. Even if broken open, it won't spread radiation. The fuel will self-seal.

And it will run for centuries.

And finally, it has already been engineered and tested.  It only needs commercialisation. It will likely take the form of a liquid-fueled reactor like the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR) or the Molten Salt Reactor (MSR).

So be afraid.  Be very afraid.  It's something we all need to be aware of and ready for.  Our governments need to be taking notice, because this particular technology race is going to be the global game-changer of this century.

Regardless of your prejudices, your advocacies and your particular favourite renewable, you and your governments should be making sure of your place at this table.  Even if you hate nuclear with a passion, you won't be able to ignore it.  If you do, someone else will hold the keys to your future.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Is the truth really out there? Sorting the crap from the credible

When we research something, we all have a set of base 'truths' that guide our decision whether a particular paper, blog post, speech, tweet or fact sheet is credible.

These truths are the product of our experiences, education and upbringing, and they have been refined over time to become ingrained in our consciousness.  They become virtually unassailable, and often are changed only by very persuasive argument.  Often the longer the time-span, the harder it is to change.

However, it is important to select your base truths as self-evident.  Try not to base them on someone else's opinion.

Here, I list my base truths about nuclear energy and thorium, and how I use them to pick the credible arguments from the anti-nuclear rants and distortions that flood this space.

Over 500 civilian and military nuclear reactors in service have been quietly doing their job for decades with no major problems.
So don't try and tell me it's unsafe or unproven.  If, on the other hand you accept this and suggest we have better reactor technology available, you'll get no argument from me.

The search for knowledge and understanding is a continually evolving endeavour, and nuclear science is no exception.
I will not accept outdated science when I know there are more recent scientific studies by credible organisations.

Every living creature on earth has been exposed to ionizing radiation.   Some have been exposed to huge doses.
This has provided the opportunity for extensive study of the effect of ionizing radiation across a broad spectrum of people, places and events.  From the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings to Chernobyl to Fukushima to natural exposure, there are numerous documented studies showing how much we have learned.

So don't try to sell me on the 1950's view of ionizing radiation and it's effects.  Don't try to sell the view that any study based on, or justifying, the Linear No Threshold (LNT) rule for radiation dose is anything but an anti-nuclear rant, or over-protective government policy. 

New nuclear power plants are being planned and built at record pace.
There is no doubt that numerous countries are planning and building reactors.  Even the United States has rejoined the active community!

So any article containing the view that 'Nuclear is dead' cannot be anything but anti-nuclear bullshit (or maybe wishful thinking).

Thorium is a different element than uranium and so has a very different fission progression in a reactor.
The progression of fission products in a thorium fuelled reactor is well documented.  Don't try and tell me different.  Basic science tells us that every element in the Periodic Table has different properties.  Any article that expresses the view that it's the same as uranium will not be accepted by me.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Most people are sceptics by default.  We like to see proof.  People who try to discredit or denounce something that holds great promise but does not yet exist usually have a vested interest in it's failure or a fear of it.

After all, throughout history every new significant endeavour has had it's share of derision from fear-mongers and vested interests.

I know thorium hasn't been commercialised yet.  There are no thorium MSRs or LFTRs at the time of writing this, and I too am keen to see this technology proven.  However, any article that tries to tell me before we have demonstrable reactors that thorium MSR or LFTR technology is bad, or too expensive, or dangerous, or powered by 'Kool Aid', or fantasy is summarily dismissed by me as anti-nuclear hysteria, or spin from a nuclear industry with too much at stake in current reactor technology.  There is no other explanation!

So folks, as you read literature touted as 'fact', take a look around you.  Note what is obvious to you and assess the article based on your own set of truths, but make your truths self-evident as I have above.

By doing this, I believe you will find a more informed path through the sea of crud out there.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

How Anti-Nukes can really save the planet

My previous post entitled Change from 'No Nuclear' to 'Safe Nuclear' was a plea to the anti-nuclear movement to help us all by co-operating to make civilian nuclear power safe.

I was immediately asked 'how'?  Who decides what's safe?

So, here's my view on how the anti-nuclear movement can help make the world a safer place:

1. Accept that nuclear power is here to stay.
Nuclear power is here to stay because it is very reliable, proven and clean.  These are irrefutable scientific facts borne out by the many years of nuclear power plant operation around the world.  No amount of anti-nuclear rhetoric or demonstration can undo this exemplary record.

A nation's prosperity is measured by it's access to energy.  The more reliable that energy source, the richer the nation.  The richer the nation, the more affluent it's citizens.  The more affluent it's citizens, the more it can trade on the world's markets and be competitive.  This is the cornerstone of global civilization.

If you weigh this up in the current context of climate change and air quality, that reliable energy source must also be clean.

Any nation wishing to achieve the above has to consider nuclear power.  I know everyone wants to see renewable energy (i.e., wind, solar, geothermal) fill that gap.  But it simply can't.  How many nations can afford the smart grids necessary to make this work?  How many can afford the huge over-building requirements to cater for regional intermittent outages? What about reliable energy storage options that can last decades?  What about the ongoing maintenance and expansion required to keep pace with energy requirements into the future?  And finally, after all is said and done, there is still no guarantee of reliability.  My view on why renewable energy sources can only fail comes down to the fact that the fuel cannot be controlled.  Simple as that. 


These questions are critical to energy self-sufficiency in every nation on earth, and these are the reasons why the anti-nuclear movement is failing to stop the progress of civilian nuclear energy.

2. Put away the 'No Nuclear' banners and pick up the 'Safe Nuclear' banners.
It is important to understand that there are much safer alternatives to the current LWR and PWR reactors in common use today.  By advocating safer designs, the anti-nuclear movement can preserve it's fundamental goal - maximizing human safety - without compromising it's stand to remove nuclear power stations that are not as safe.

'Safe Nuclear' is a message that resonates with far more people than 'No Nuclear'.  We all want safe, reliable and clean energy.

3. Make the effort to learn about new reactor technologies - and learn it from the scientists, not from the 'religious'.
The nuclear 'debate' (as with most public debate) has it's religious zealots on both sides.  I attended the IThEO Thorium conference in New York in 2011 - my first conference on energy ever.  What struck me most was the accessibility I had to some of the actual researchers charged with the development of the technology.  Being able to chat with them and ask questions and see their passion is worth more than all the anonymous bloggers on the internet combined.  I felt truly empowered by this and gained a level of understanding that cannot be gained by 'Googling it'.

I recommend to all (not just those in the anti-nuclear movement) that you go to conferences in your state or country as often as possible and talk to the scientists.  Hear what they have to say and take an interest.  Scientists and researchers are human beings just as we are, and they strive to provide the safe, reliable energy we all want.  They may not be as articulate as the zealots, but you will be far better informed!

4. Put your energy into removing all fossil fuel energy sources from the planet - pick up the 'No Fossil Fuel' banners.
Fossil fuel is the enemy.  Regardless of the truth on climate change, we should be striving to end the pollution of our air and water.

No one can argue that air and water aren't vital to our survival.  The extent of the pollution provided by fossil fuels is much wider than the air around your car or water around your boat.  There are myriad examples of accidents that pollute huge areas of ocean and sky, that kill millions of living creatures - human and animal.  This is the enemy, and it's all man-made.

We also know that we have viable alternatives to fossil fuels in all aspects of their use (except perhaps aircraft).  We can use electric vehicles.  We have great hydrogen fuel cell technology available for use now.  The list goes on.

Much of the effort going into these alternative technologies is being hampered by vested interests.  These are many of the same companies the anti-nuclear movement has already identified as the bad guys.  So you may not even have to protest at a different location - just change the banner - 'No Fossil Fuels!'

5. Take a balanced view of lessons learned from nuclear energy events.
What the events at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima did for me were to highlight just how safe nuclear reactor designs have become over the years.  The nuclear energy industry has weathered incredible opposition to show that safety can be achieved in a civilian energy context.

The earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Fukushima was undoubtedly one of the most horrific disasters of the last 100 years.  Measure out the 12 square mile exclusion zone around Fukushima, and consider it's size relative to area of the island it contains, and to the area of devastation caused by the natural disaster.  It's tiny.

Now measure the extent of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the loss of life there.  There is no comparison.

Finally, learn the truth about the dangers of radiation and of spent nuclear fuel.
The health affects of radiation have been grossly exaggerated for more than 50 years.  This is as much due to lack of education as it is to the few religious zealots who overstate it to their own ends.  Get educated.  You will find it surprisingly benign when the radioactive substances are handled with the respect and knowledge they demand.

Come on folks.  We are at the cusp of really doing something that will fundamentally improve our relationship with our planet and give our children hope for a better world.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Change from 'No Nuclear' to 'Safe Nuclear'

I would support an anti-nuclear movement that stood for 'safe nuclear' rather than 'no nuclear'.  The time has come for the anti-nuclear movement to move with the times and stop being the disruptive force of the past.

What I find most unfortunate about the whole anti-nuclear movement is that, even with the best intentions, it has effectively prevented the timely development of safer reactor technologies over the past 37 years. In my view it has proved the old adage that 'The road to Hell is paved with good intentions'.

Whose to say what reactor technology would be in use now if the research had been allowed to proceed at pace? Is it possible that the Fukushima reactors could have been Molten Salt Reactors or Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors, in which the reactor core cannot melt down, and would safely shutdown without human or mechanical intervention?

What would the global energy vista be like if many of the world's economies were self-sufficient for baseload power?  Could we have avoided a Gulf War?  Would petrol (gas) prices be so high? The world-wide implications of this are staggering.

Fortunately, despite the anti-nuclear movement, research has progressed and we have three very promising reactor designs that need commercialization - The Integral Fast Breeder Reactor (IFR), the Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) and the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR).

If the anti-nuclear movement would only stop disrupting the emergence of these technologies, and work with the industry and scientists to make sure these reactor designs live up to their promise, we can see a truly safe, clean nuclear industry - together.

I think this is what most people really want.