There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.
Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, IV, 8
Looks like my blog article entitled “Phillip Paulwell's Nuclear Power in a Bathtub - SilkWood meets the China Syndrome” has earned me some respect in the real world of journalism! This as I was quite surprised to see that The Jamaica Observer has decided to jump-start a serious discussion into the use of Nuclear Power as an alternative!
Finally [applause]!!! Thank you, thank you; you’re far too kind!
This after The Jamaica Gleaner decided to make apparently make light of Senator Phillip Paulwell’s excellent idea – twice – in their article “Paulwell revives debate on Nuclear Energy use”, published Thursday June 25, 2009, The Jamaica Gleaner and their follow article article “Paulwell still batting for Jamaican Nuclear Facility”, published Friday March 18, 2011, Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner. This without even a proper research note, PhD style!
The Jamaica Gleaner, WTF!
Great journalism, though, for The Jamaica Observer! A month’s supply of US$200 Ferrero Rocher gourmet chocolate coming your way!
Good Journalism has its rewards and I am rewarded as a blogger when something you write can influence a big newspaper to do the digging and make the connections. Petre Williams-Raynor, Environment Editor article for The Jamaica Observer entitled “Japan willing to help JA go nuclear”, published Wednesday, March 30, 2011 by Petre Williams-Raynor, Environment Editor, The Jamaica Observer is the article to which I refer.
The new design PWR (Pressurized Water Reactors) in my defense of Nuclear Power in my blog article entitled “Phillip Paulwell's Nuclear Power in a Bathtub - SilkWood meets the china Syndrome” are indeed as small as a “bathtub” as Professor Dr. Gerald Lalor, Director-General for the International Centre for Environment and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS) at the University of the West Indies asserts.
Plus, this over-glorified Steam engine or Thermal Heat Generator would employ a lot of Power, Telecoms and Mechanical Engineers on a scale three (3) times that of Jamalco. Multi-billion dollar FDI (Foreign Direct Investors) for a MOX (Mixed Oxide) Fuel PWR Nuclear Reactor anyone?
Professor Dr. Gerald Lalor own words put it best, quote: “The difference between long ago when it was quite right that we shouldn't think of it, is that now there is a slew of little reactors, which are going to be fail-safe and they are going to be made in factories and shipped away. So the picture has changed in such a way that we really need to look at it. I'm not saying at this time whether nuclear is the answer or not, but I don't see any other answer at that price, and reactors suitable for countries the size of Jamaica
Despite the low cost of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) fuel due to the global over abundance of world supply as stated in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and Natural Gas - Genesis of the Hydrogen-Electron Economy”, alternatives are necessary, as LNG is not an infinite Renewable Resource. Solar and Wind, which are suitable for Jamaica
Solar and Wind Power, believe it or not, do not have the level of efficiency or the safety track record of Nuclear Power, the crux of my agreement in my blog article entitled “Phillip Paulwell's Nuclear Power in a Bathtub - SilkWood meets the China Syndrome”.
Seventh Day Adventists, GreenPeace Activists and Environmental campaigners need to come good and join the debate with SCIENTIFIC or LEGAL arguments, as scaremongering is an indication of people in high places seeking to deceive people via a lack of information. This is effectively Media obfuscation via the official platform of Journalism.
This debate is especially poignant as Nuclear Reactors can actual be a part of the Net Metering Debate, which is now on the cards thanks to the protests made by Professor Dr. Anthony Chen while receiving his citation for his Nobel Prize Winning work with the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) in 2007AD as stated in the article “Anthony Chen wants government to introduce Net Metering”, published Wednesday, March 25, 2009 By LUKE DOUGLAS Environment Watch writer, The Jamaica Observer.
Also, it would logically be an addendum to my suggestions for different models for Net Metering as laid out in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and Residential Solar Power - The Social Network”!
The JPS Co (Jamaica Public Service Company), our Local and SOLE Power Utility company, has since responded, with more sensible arguments than “power instability” as a reason for not wanting Net Metering. Dan Theoc, JPS Co’s CFO (Chief Financial Officer) was quick to point out that they [JPS Co] are not against Net Metering.
Rather, it is simply that the resellers of power cannot resell power back to JPS at prices less than JPS Co sells to customers as stated in his arguments in the article “The Truth about Net Metering”, published Sunday March 20, 2011 by Dan Theoc, Contributor, The Jamaica Gleaner.
A more sensible economic reason that can simply be challenged by pointing out the fact that JPS Co does not produce power efficiently and a low enough cost to make Jamaica Globally competitive as suggested in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and BioFuels - Liberation from Fossil Fuels” and “Alternative energy and the Revalued Dollar - Cheaper Electricity is needed”. In fact, that JPS Co may be involved in overcharging customers!
Thus, the article “Japan willing to help JA go nuclear”, published Wednesday, March 30, 2011 by Petre Williams-Raynor, Environment Editor, The Jamaica Observer can be seen as a response to Dr. Raymond Wright, Consultant to the PCJ (Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica), who had made similar calls for Energy Sector Diversifications as stated in the article “Jamaica must seek other energy sources by 2015”, published Saturday, October 09, 2010, by Tanesha Mundler, Observer Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Observer.
Hopefully, too, than that now the Japanese have expressed an interest in assisting Jamaica in securing a FDI (Foreign Direct Investor) interested in releasing the Nuclear Genie in our island as stated in the article “Japan willing to help JA go nuclear”, published Wednesday, March 30, 2011 by Petre Williams-Raynor, Environment Editor, The Jamaica Observer, Nuclear Power now has credibility.
It is no longer an idea to be made light of, “bathtub” sized or not and cannot be discounted on the grounds of politics, as my support for Senator Phillip Paulwell is an indication of SCIENTIFIC interest ONLY.
I end by declaring Nuclear Power, statistically speaking, is the safest of the bunch, with Coal and other Fossil Fuel derived power being the most costly, inefficient and dangerous to produce as stated in the article Phil McKenna of New Scientist in the article entitled “Fossil Fuels are far deadlier than Nuclear Power” published 23 March 2011 by Phil McKenna, New Scientist.
I challenge the Seventh Day Adventists, Greenpeace and the other Environmental Watchdogs to enter the Net Metering debate, with SCIENTIFIC evidence to prove otherwise.
But the reason why Jamaicans need to support Net Metering is not because of the Efficiency of Safety Record of Nuclear Power. Rather, it is about Competition for JPS Co which more efficient producer of electricity such as LNG and Nuclear Power bring to the Sector, which JPS Co, a true Power Utility Monopoly, fears, hence their past arguments to kill Net Metering.
More importantly, Net Metering is precursor to full Liberalization of the Energy Sector. This is much in the same way MRSI (Mandatory Registration of Subscriber Information), is a precursor to MNP (Mobile Number Portability) as stated in my blog article entitled “MRSI and MNP - Where the Spies Are”.
Both of which, for the record, Senator Phillip Paulwell has publicly championed in Parliament as evidenced from the article “Paulwell calls for number portability”, published, Wednesday April 21, 2010, Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner.
2 comments:
this is the foolishness oh the startup costs are higher for a completely safe and free energy technology like solar or wind or geothermal and so you go for a technology that is incredibly risky and can destroy everything you have.
Ultimately this is decided because you have been denied and have not demanded the access to credit that would allow your nation to simply build a safer electrical generation system with a higher startup cost.
Jamaica should be able to go to the IMF, world bank, or a consortium of international banks willing to underwrite very low interest infrastructure loans in exchange for long term commodity production contracts, such as your coffee fruits etc which by the way are worth a lot more if they can be certified 'organic' etc.
There is no reason why Jamaica cannot have clean energy and pay for it using reasonable international infrastructure loans and clean renewable products. That is what is in the best long-term interests of Jamaica
To anonymous: My article was a follow up on previous article about Phillip Paulwell Nuclear PWR (Pressurized Nuclear Reactor) and the Net metering Debate.
My hope is that it starts a discussion on the use of Nuclear Power under the coming Net Metering Debate(s)!!!
I hope that it raises awareness of the safety record of Nuclear Power and the fact that with suitable investment from a well funded FDI (Foreign direct Investor), Nuclear Power can be a cost effective part of the Power mix.
I am not advocating government of Jamaica involvement.
Merely that the Government of Jamaica open up the debate into Nuclear Power as a long term cheaper source of energy. eventually, bids from FDI could be viewed for the construction of a Nuclear Power Plant in Jamaica.
The current handling of Nuclear Power by Japan proves it is safe, being a mere blip on the track record of Nuclear power's safety record.
Plus, it is good to note that this may be a ploy by Philip Paul pre-election to win back his seat.
By opening the debate into Nuclear Power, he demonstrating that cost effective means of producing electricity long term exist and thus widen the debate for Energy Sector Liberalization.
This is much as he has been championing MNP (Mobile number Portability) via MRSI(Mandatory Registration of Subscriber Information)!
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