Using reactor grade materials for weapons is typically much more complicated up to close to impossible (spent fuel), therefore it is illogical to consite proliferation threat. Not only for simplicity but also due to concealment reasons is it preferable to keep the weapon related activities separate.

Most of the countries who have nuclear power plants do not (wish to) have nuclear weapons, those who have weapons them developed before or independently off their civilian program.

Therefore nuclear proliferation is a political problem – solve the desire of nations to obtain nuclear weapons, a powerful invasion deterrent.

Concerning advanced closed nuclear fuel cycles, necessary for such an expansion, see http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/designs/ifr/anlw.html

Closed cycle fissions down all the heavy metal nuclei, uran and transurans including Np, Pu, Am, Cm,.. Waste from thee cycles are much less short lived, rare materials most of them quite valuable and each usable in industry& medicine.

See also thorium cycle, which produces practically no Pu -

http://nucleargreen.blogspot.com/2008/08/two-four-six-eight-we-dont-want-to.html

Second, we know quite something about long term effects of radiation, natural BG radiation is orders magnitude above man-man doses.

Last, if we hope to replace fossil fuels with something else, and also provide enough energy for emerging nations, we need to increase the nuclear generation by .85/0.06 *(2~4) = 30 ~ 60 times.

Using reactor grade materials for weapons is typically much more complicated up to close to impossible (spent fuel), therefore it is illogical to consite proliferation threat. Not only for simplicity but also due to concealment reasons is it preferable to keep the weapon related activities separate.

Most of the countries who have nuclear power plants do not (wish to) have nuclear weapons, those who have weapons them developed before or independently off their civilian program.

Therefore nuclear proliferation is a political problem – solve the desire of nations to obtain nuclear weapons, a powerful invasion deterrent.

Concerning advanced closed nuclear fuel cycles, necessary for such an expansion, see http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/designs/ifr/anlw.html

Closed cycle fissions down all the heavy metal nuclei, uran and transurans including Np, Pu, Am, Cm,.. Waste from thee cycles are much less short lived, rare materials most of them quite valuable and each usable in industry& medicine.

See also thorium cycle, which produces practically no Pu -

http://nucleargreen.blogspot.com/2008/08/two-four-six-eight-we-dont-want-to.html

Second, we know quite something about long term effects of radiation, natural BG radiation is orders magnitude above man-man doses.

Last, if we hope to replace fossil fuels with something else, and also provide enough energy for emerging nations, we need to increase the nuclear generation by .85/0.06 *(2~4) = 30 ~ 60 times.

Using reactor grade materials for weapons is typically much more complicated up to close to impossible (spent fuel), therefore it is illogical to consite proliferation threat. Not only for simplicity but also due to concealment reasons is it preferable to keep the weapon related activities separate.

Most of the countries who have nuclear power plants do not (wish to) have nuclear weapons, those who have weapons them developed before or independently off their civilian program.

Therefore nuclear proliferation is a political problem – solve the desire of nations to obtain nuclear weapons, a powerful invasion deterrent.

Concerning advanced closed nuclear fuel cycles, necessary for such an expansion, see http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/designs/ifr/anlw.html

Closed cycle fissions down all the heavy metal nuclei, uran and transurans including Np, Pu, Am, Cm,.. Waste from thee cycles are much less short lived, rare materials most of them quite valuable and each usable in industry& medicine.

See also thorium cycle, which produces practically no Pu -

http://nucleargreen.blogspot.com/2008/08/two-four-six-eight-we-dont-want-to.html

Second, we know quite something about long term effects of radiation, natural BG radiation is orders magnitude above man-man doses.

Last, if we hope to replace fossil fuels with something else, and also provide enough energy for emerging nations, we need to increase the nuclear generation by .85/0.06 *(2~4) = 30 ~ 60 times.

Though trash will always be with us, the quantity is insufficient to provide much of our energy needs.

I once lived in a county (Pinellas County Florida) with about 3 million residents. We had a modern waste to energy plant that took in all of the burnable trash that the entire county produced. The plant produced less than 50 MW of electricity.

Correction: posted 9/12/2008 9:09 pm I should have done the search. The Pinellas County Waste To Energy plant produces 75 MWe with 15 used for internal power and 60 available for the grid.

Though trash will always be with us, the quantity is insufficient to provide much of our energy needs.

I once lived in a county (Pinellas County Florida) with about 3 million residents. We had a modern waste to energy plant that took in all of the burnable trash that the entire county produced. The plant produced less than 50 MW of electricity.

Correction: posted 9/12/2008 9:09 pm I should have done the search. The Pinellas County Waste To Energy plant produces 75 MWe with 15 used for internal power and 60 available for the grid.

Though trash will always be with us, the quantity is insufficient to provide much of our energy needs.

I once lived in a county (Pinellas County Florida) with about 3 million residents. We had a modern waste to energy plant that took in all of the burnable trash that the entire county produced. The plant produced less than 50 MW of electricity.

Correction: posted 9/12/2008 9:09 pm I should have done the search. The Pinellas County Waste To Energy plant produces 75 MWe with 15 used for internal power and 60 available for the grid.

The concept for the Hyperion Power Module – and other small reactors – is that they would be fueled in a factory and sealed up with no access to the active material for the end user.

The reports that you have read about radioisotopes in steam produced in nuclear plants are not accurate. I have spent many months inside a sealed submarine that contained a steam power plant where the steam was indirectly created by nuclear heat. We had some very sensitive instruments and would have recognized any contamination. Didn’t happen. The well publicized “leaks” have often been of material that is less contaminated than the water in a hot spring.

Finally, the “waste issue” is greatly overblown. We have been safely handling the byproducts of nuclear fission power plants for more than 50 years. The total volume would not even make a small hill inside a single football stadium.

In contrast to the fossil fuel competition, nuclear fission is safe, clean, abundant and reliable. Other alternatives have some of those characteristics, but none have all of them.

The concept for the Hyperion Power Module – and other small reactors – is that they would be fueled in a factory and sealed up with no access to the active material for the end user.

The reports that you have read about radioisotopes in steam produced in nuclear plants are not accurate. I have spent many months inside a sealed submarine that contained a steam power plant where the steam was indirectly created by nuclear heat. We had some very sensitive instruments and would have recognized any contamination. Didn’t happen. The well publicized “leaks” have often been of material that is less contaminated than the water in a hot spring.

Finally, the “waste issue” is greatly overblown. We have been safely handling the byproducts of nuclear fission power plants for more than 50 years. The total volume would not even make a small hill inside a single football stadium.

In contrast to the fossil fuel competition, nuclear fission is safe, clean, abundant and reliable. Other alternatives have some of those characteristics, but none have all of them.

First, this technology would effectively expand nuclear proliferation on an emormous scale. The transport, storage and distribution of fissionble-grade uranium would have inherent dangers that I instinctively feel would outweigh the benefits.

Second, I’ve read reports that the steam from nuclear plants has radioactive isotopes in it, and no one is sure what long-term effects these isotopes might have.

Finally, the nuclear waste issue would be also made far greater by this distributed nuclear energy scheme. It doesn’t seem feasible to me to expand the use of nuclear in this manner when we are having trouble disposing of the waste we have now.

As a footnote, I do recognize that nuclear power will have to be a major part of the energy mix for many years to come. I just think we have to be very cautious about how big of a percentage it is.

First, this technology would effectively expand nuclear proliferation on an emormous scale. The transport, storage and distribution of fissionble-grade uranium would have inherent dangers that I instinctively feel would outweigh the benefits.

Second, I’ve read reports that the steam from nuclear plants has radioactive isotopes in it, and no one is sure what long-term effects these isotopes might have.

Finally, the nuclear waste issue would be also made far greater by this distributed nuclear energy scheme. It doesn’t seem feasible to me to expand the use of nuclear in this manner when we are having trouble disposing of the waste we have now.

As a footnote, I do recognize that nuclear power will have to be a major part of the energy mix for many years to come. I just think we have to be very cautious about how big of a percentage it is.