[Craic] Debate on Nuclear Power

Wed Feb 28 05:06:31 PST 2024

Thanks David;

The discussion that you attached was very interesting to read, and learn from.

This morning I received a note from the Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign ( attached ). A portion of their message deals with the announcement about more nuclear reactors in Ontario ( small and large ).

Simply, from an economics perspective, imagine that electricity was to be priced like gasoline. Would it be best to buy it at a service station selling for 18 cents per litre, or from one selling at five cents per litre?

 Currently the price for nuclear-generated electricity is rumoured to come in at 18 cents per kWh. Wind and solar can be had for much less. So why is Ontario spending billions on nuclear?

Yours;
Allan

The fourth point in OCEC’s 12-point Climate Action Plan states “Place an immediate moratorium on any further investment in nuclear energy to invest instead in new renewable energy.” Unfortunately, on January 30, 2024, the Ontario government announced its decision to proceed with the refurbishment of the four large reactors of the Pickering nuclear facility. Watch Energy Minister Todd Smith joyously announce the decision <https://www.ontarioclimateemergency.ca/so/7eOr1YEtI/c?w=WiU_huYIh2yzjbDFcSQJbwTSIhtZxvpWBTXo7oKS07g.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9VQWVKaXdkQnNqayIsInIiOiJmZTRhYjUyNS1jZjc0LTQyZGMtODFkMC0xOTA2YWRkYmQxZTIiLCJtIjoibWFpbF9scCIsImMiOiJhMGQ3M2Q1Mi00NmE1LTRkNWUtYmFmYy1lYmY0MDA0ZWY0YjgifQ>. Note the positive spin!  Of course, no final cost estimate  <https://www.ontarioclimateemergency.ca/so/7eOr1YEtI/c?w=XwQq_XGUbH5TIWF6kfRnBWff9-rs-byNRYTgsaloikg.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2xlYW5haXJhbGxpYW5jZS5vcmcvcGlja2VyaW5nLWJvbmFuemEvIiwiciI6ImZlNGFiNTI1LWNmNzQtNDJkYy04MWQwLTE5MDZhZGRiZDFlMiIsIm0iOiJtYWlsX2xwIiwiYyI6ImEwZDczZDUyLTQ2YTUtNGQ1ZS1iYWZjLWViZjQwMDRlZjRiOCJ9>of the refurbishment or comparison with faster, easier to install renewable sources was given. <https://www.ontarioclimateemergency.ca/so/7eOr1YEtI/c?w=XwQq_XGUbH5TIWF6kfRnBWff9-rs-byNRYTgsaloikg.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2xlYW5haXJhbGxpYW5jZS5vcmcvcGlja2VyaW5nLWJvbmFuemEvIiwiciI6ImZlNGFiNTI1LWNmNzQtNDJkYy04MWQwLTE5MDZhZGRiZDFlMiIsIm0iOiJtYWlsX2xwIiwiYyI6ImEwZDczZDUyLTQ2YTUtNGQ1ZS1iYWZjLWViZjQwMDRlZjRiOCJ9> The Energy Mix <https://www.ontarioclimateemergency.ca/so/7eOr1YEtI/c?w=jTQxogM-ceqzyB-uctRpmz9OUBqPQ9VlLx8Z1n6Z27w.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlZW5lcmd5bWl4LmNvbS9vbnRhcmlvLXB1c2hlcy1haGVhZC13aXRoLXBpY2tlcmluZy1udWNsZWFyLXJlYnVpbGQtd29udC1xdW90ZS1wcm9qZWN0LWNvc3QvIiwiciI6ImZlNGFiNTI1LWNmNzQtNDJkYy04MWQwLTE5MDZhZGRiZDFlMiIsIm0iOiJtYWlsX2xwIiwiYyI6ImEwZDczZDUyLTQ2YTUtNGQ1ZS1iYWZjLWViZjQwMDRlZjRiOCJ9> has a good overview of this decision, with expert views and statements by the leaders of the opposition parties. See also this comment by Professor Mark Winfield of York University, an expert on the subject <https://www.ontarioclimateemergency.ca/so/7eOr1YEtI/c?w=BXMwFkL_lRxkamsygT1G9MweAV6HsRzaf_950Co2LOY.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYXJrc3cuYmxvZy55b3JrdS5jYS8yMDI0LzAyLzAzL29udGFyaW8tcG93ZXItZ2VuZXJhdGlvbnMtbnVjbGVhci1wb3dlci1wbGF5LyIsInIiOiJmZTRhYjUyNS1jZjc0LTQyZGMtODFkMC0xOTA2YWRkYmQxZTIiLCJtIjoibWFpbF9scCIsImMiOiJhMGQ3M2Q1Mi00NmE1LTRkNWUtYmFmYy1lYmY0MDA0ZWY0YjgifQ>.

Just one day later, M.V. Ramana, the Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security and Professor at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia, issued the following statement <https://www.ontarioclimateemergency.ca/so/7eOr1YEtI/c?w=YhA6FIrcXCIwUn_Qgj4M3RD7P9LS2_v04HZkEGCBBSk.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudXRpbGl0eWRpdmUuY29tL25ld3MvbnVzY2FsZS11YW1wcy1wcm9qZWN0LXNtYWxsLW1vZHVsYXItcmVhY3Rvci1yYW1hbmFzbXItLzcwNTcxNy8iLCJyIjoiZmU0YWI1MjUtY2Y3NC00MmRjLTgxZDAtMTkwNmFkZGJkMWUyIiwibSI6Im1haWxfbHAiLCJjIjoiYTBkNzNkNTItNDZhNS00ZDVlLWJhZmMtZWJmNDAwNGVmNGI4In0> that bears on another component of the Ford government’s nuclear policy - a very expensive gamble on Small Modular Reactors.  Professor Ramana quoted the CEO of Nuscale, which just cancelled its SMR project in the U.S. because of years of unpredictable, extensive cost overruns, “Once you’re on a dead horse, you dismount quickly. That’s where we are here.”  So that’s what Doug Ford has been riding - in addition to a bulldozer, of course!

As for the approval by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to situate an above-ground nuclear waste dump one mile from the Ottawa River on unceded Algonquin territory. the lawsuits have begun. See this report in The Energy Mix. <https://www.ontarioclimateemergency.ca/so/7eOr1YEtI/c?w=TwTu75_VZd861cZObVd_wiXrnRf42pKcy08NxWBKlUE.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlZW5lcmd5bWl4LmNvbS9maXJzdC1uYXRpb25zLWNpdGl6ZW4tZ3JvdXBzLWRlbWFuZC1oYWx0LXRvLWdsb3JpZmllZC1sYW5kZmlsbC1mb3ItcmFkaW9hY3RpdmUtd2FzdGUvP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9VGhlK0VuZXJneStNaXgmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPTUzZjg3OGFjMmYtVEVNX1JTU19FTUFJTF9DQU1QQUlHTiZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV90ZXJtPTBfZGMxNDZmYjVjYS01M2Y4NzhhYzJmLTMzMzk3MDMyOSIsInIiOiJmZTRhYjUyNS1jZjc0LTQyZGMtODFkMC0xOTA2YWRkYmQxZTIiLCJtIjoibWFpbF9scCIsImMiOiJhMGQ3M2Q1Mi00NmE1LTRkNWUtYmFmYy1lYmY0MDA0ZWY0YjgifQ>  

AFN National Chief, Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak issued the following statement <https://www.ontarioclimateemergency.ca/so/7eOr1YEtI/c?w=F5YK3T-ul-4zwWaL6KhSXuMR8tNaYudKNgVcnY1D3to.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9hZm4uY2EvYWxsLW5ld3MvcHJlc3MtcmVsZWFzZXMvYWZuLW5hdGlvbmFsLWNoaWVmLWNpbmR5LXdvb2Rob3VzZS1uZXBpbmFrLXVyZ2VzLWNvbnN1bHRhdGlvbi13aXRoLWZpcnN0LW5hdGlvbnMtb24tY2hhbGstcml2ZXItcmFkaW9hY3RpdmUtd2FzdGUtZmFjaWxpdHkvIiwiciI6ImZlNGFiNTI1LWNmNzQtNDJkYy04MWQwLTE5MDZhZGRiZDFlMiIsIm0iOiJtYWlsX2xwIiwiYyI6ImEwZDczZDUyLTQ2YTUtNGQ1ZS1iYWZjLWViZjQwMDRlZjRiOCJ9>: 
“The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Article 29(2), clearly states that no storage or disposal of hazardous materials shall take place in the lands or territories of Indigenous peoples without their free, prior and informed consent. The CNSC decision falls short of these standards, infringes on First Nations inherent rights and jurisdiction, and raises concerns regarding the Government of Canada’s commitment to uphold and adhere to the standards of UNDRIP. Consistent with direction from AFN Resolution 52/2023, Securing Accountability of Nuclear Technology, Waste, Transport and Storage, we urge federal, provincial, and territorial governments to ensure that no testing, development, expansion, or deployment of nuclear activities, including small modular reactors, occur on or near First Nations territories without the free, prior, and informed consent of all First Nations who may be affected.”

> On Feb 27, 2024, at 2:49 PM, David Walsh via craic <craic at lists.integralshift.ca> wrote:
> 
>  
> At our CRAIC meeting last week, there was discussion about nuclear power and the options for alternatives that use the waste from  nuclear power generation.
>  
> This article and the attached email discussion offer interesting proposals
>  
> Recent article in the Globe & Mail
> https://www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/d020a16c1e5945530ea9d45bd893cd8da4ec150a605cc0e817d2d42aea637262/QGNMHLOXABFHFPGHKXELLLNT7E/
>  
>  
> David
> 
> David Walsh
> david at dwalsh.ca <mailto:david at dwalsh.ca>
> Cell: 416-361-1341
>  
> <Emails from Peter Ottensmeyer re Nuclear Power.docx>_______________________________________________
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