TODAY. The pen is mightier than the sword.
What made me ponder on this was reading an article about the Vogtle Nuclear Power Station. Not that this article contained anything new. really.
Anyone who has bothered to take an interest in this station would probably know that it is the largest power station in the USA, and the only one with 4 reactors. It was designed and eventually built by Westinghouse (which went bankrupt in the process). Southern Nuclear, and later Georgia Power took over the costs, helped by federal loan guarantees up to $12 billion. It was expanded over 11 years at a cost of $36.8 billion.
So – reams have been published about all this. Noticeably high in jargon, are stories about Vogtle’s energy benefits, how it “helps climate action”. There are also many articles criticising the costs, and financial arrangements, and some of these also give complicated details, that are not easy to read.
So – today’s article? “Welcome to Planet Vogtle! The Lessons of Georgia’s Nuclear Boondoggle.”
Well, it is written in easily readable and witty language. Some of the writer’s ideas are novel – but true, too! – “A global race is on to see who will host the next nuclear disaster, and as always the U.S.A. is determined to take the lead” “ record-breaking profits for utility companies, record-breaking power bills for the rest of us.” “nuclear waste factories like Vogtle “
But within the forceful and witty language, the writer has demolished the nuclear industry’s claims of benefits – about being “economic” “clean” “safe” “low emissions” and noted its euphemisms – like “disposal” of nuclear wastes.
The article actually compresses “Plant Vogtle: The True Cost of Nuclear Power in the United States,” a 35-page report exposing the political maneuvering and cynical profiteering that made the Vogtle project a “success.”
So – although I did enjoy the writing style – this is one article that does both – gives the information, and a bit of fun to read. And the writer sure isn’t scared to give his opinion! Which is good fun. I’m sick of everyone worthily trying to give “balance”
If you’ve waded through stuff about the nuclear industry, whether the stuff is pro or con, it is so refreshing to come upon something that is a pleasure to read.
And if you had any doubts about the whole pro nuclear push being crooked – this Plant Vogtle article should clear up those doubts.
ABOUT THE Submissions – re new agreement on Naval Nuclear Propulsion
I started out to copy and publish the Submissions – from the Australian Parliament website – https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Treaties/NuclearPropulsion/Submissions
I expected that there would be very few
Even the Parliament, let alone the public, has not been properly informed about this planned Treaty : Agreement among the Government of Australia, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Government of the United States of America for Cooperation Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion.
The vast majority of Australians, and most of the Members of Parliament would have been unaware of the government Inquiry into this, and its call for Submissions.
No wonder the government liked it all to be pretty hush-hush. This Treaty will surely go down in history as the Albanese government’s biggest botch-up. Mind you, it all was started in an equally quiet and uninformed way by the previous Scott Morrison government’s disastrous AUKUS pact. At the time, the then Labor Opposition had less than 24 hours to decide on whether to support it. Afraid of looking “weak on China” – they made the wrong decision.
While the media concentrated on the “important” stuff – Paris Olympics, celebrities, fashion, and some real news, – the new AUKUS plan was not in it.
Anyway, surprisingly, the number of submissions published is now up to 191. I am not able to publish them all. But I’m going through them, to find out their themes , and to see in anyone actually supports this very odd Treaty.
1 This month
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
– go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com/
Antinuclear 