ANS Nuclear Cafe

As an artist I have been lucky to find a place in the nuclear community, but I haven't forgotten what it feels like to be confused about energy (there was a time when I thought that biofuels and solar panels were a viable solution). I want to describe a situation that many young Americans are facing right now, in order to offer perspective on what energy issues look like from the outside. Do your best to put yourself in someone else's shoes for a moment:

A recent event in Vermont was a Chernobyl 25^th anniversary gathering at Dartmouth College's Dickey Center. The event featured a photo exhibit and a panel presentation. Former ambassador to Belarus in the 1990s, Kenneth Yalowitz, heads the center and he chaired and sat on the panel. Yalowitz was on a larger panel on Chernobyl on its 20^th anniversary five years ago. This year's event was sponsored by the Sierra Club and was widely advertised in the local press.

The 51st Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs is up at NuclearGreen. The carnival features blog posts from the leading U.S. nuclear bloggers and is a roundup of featured content from them.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on March 22, 2011, for the lawsuit brought by three private citizens of Washington State challenging the president's authority to cancel the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.

Many American Nuclear Society members and groups across the United States have been energetically involved in the media, in their communities, and on campus during the recent events at the Fukushima plant. These members and groups have provided their knowledge and expertise to improve the accuracy of public discussions about the Fukushima events during a time when it has been sorely needed. This effort continues around the country as ANS members provide accurate, scientifically-sound information in front of TV cameras, at campus symposia, on local radio, in newspapers and journals, and by many other ways.

The 50th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs is up at Next Big Future. The carnival features blog posts from the leading U.S. nuclear bloggers and is a roundup of featured content from them.

The New York Times recently published an op-ed by Dr. Helen Caldicott titled Unsafe at Any Dose in which she summarized her theory that even the tiniest doses of radiation cause both negative health consequences for the victim and undetectable genetic defects that will affect many generations to come. Here is an example of the language that she uses to propagate this theory:

The hard-copy May issue of Nuclear News will soon be in the hands of American Nuclear Society members. It will also be available electronically to members.

On April 12, one month after the initiation of the tragedy at the Fukushima Daiichi I nuclear power plant, the Japanese government labeled the event a level seven accident-the most severe rating on the International Nuclear Events Scale (INES). This announcement heightened international concerns about the severity of the event and the potential for circumstances to worsen. This posting is intended to provide some clarification about these events in historical context.

In March, Entergy's Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant received a 20-year license extension from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; the NRC extension ends in 2032. Vermont's legislature, however, voted last year to shut down the plant in 2012, when its state certificate runs out.

Now that the recent events at the nuclear plants at Fukushima are largely behind us and the stabilization is underway, we look to the 25^th anniversary of Chernobyl and recognize that comparisons are inevitable.  But it's vital that we keep these events in perspective as we face the challenges of developing our energy resources for our global future.

Graphic by Susie Hobbs at PopAtomic Studios

The 49th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs is up at Yes Vermont Yankee. The carnival features blog posts from the leading U.S. nuclear bloggers and is a roundup of featured content from them.

Established in 1983, the American Nuclear Society's Seaborg Medal recognizes an individual who has made outstanding scientific or engineering research contributions to the development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Nominations for candidates for the award are invited from technical societies, heads of governments, and other appropriate individuals. The deadline for nomination to be received at ANS is June 1, 2011.

Improvements are needed in explaining the significance of the numbers to the public

The University of Chicago Alumni Association, in conjunction with Argonne National Laboratory and the Harris Energy Policy Institute, will hold a forum at 4:00 PM Central Time on Thursday, April 21, entitled "Beyond Fukushima: The Risks, Realities & Future of Nuclear Energy in the U.S."  The forum will be held in the atrium of the university's Gordon Center for Integrative Sciences in Chicago (click here for map) and can be viewed in real time online at University of Chicago-Live Facebook page.

For this month's perspective post, I'm going to give readers a break from all the negative things going on in Japan, and instead tell a positive story about progress being made toward solving the world's problems. The story is about recent advances in the area of electric cars and, more specifically, my personal experiences purchasing and driving the new Chevy Volt.

It has been more than a month since the tragedy in Japan and the events at Fukushima have unfolded. So far, the Japan Relief Fund-established by the American Nuclear Society-has collected almost $50,000 in donations, but more is needed. That's where you come in. Every dollar of your generous contribution will go toward nuclear plant workers and their families in Japan who have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

This week discontinuous events evolving from the impact of an  earthquake and tsunami at Fukushima continue to get focus of the nuclear energy blogsphere. TEPCO reported that post event inspections reveal that the wave breached the seawall at a height of 15 meters.

As many of you know, there is a group of 160 or so people that participates in a sort of online party discussion about nuclear. Basically, anyone in the list can send an e-mail that goes to everyone on the list. Anyone can respond and everyone can see it. It works a bit like a huge cocktail party in that you can participate-or not-in any given conversation. This list serves as a sounding board for ideas, information gathering as there are many technical experts in various areas of nuclear energy, and support for those who are out in the larger world communicating about nuclear.

The image above  is from the "Atomic Energy" edition of the "Standard Treasury of Learning Dictionary for Young People," circa 1960. Some of the chapters related to nuclear energy are titled "Unlimited Power" and "Food Enough for Everyone." It is good to be reminded that the nuclear energy industry has always had noble ambitions. This book has served as an inspiration recently, as I find myself wondering, "What will the future look like?"