2018-11-25

Taiwan had huge elections ("9 in 1") yesterday, coupled with a number of referendums and it looks like Taiwan is...

Taiwan had huge elections ("9 in 1") yesterday, coupled with a number of referendums and it looks like Taiwan is turning more conservative, partially due to pressure by the big neighbour claiming to own the place. One fallout from the referendums is the reinstallation of nuclear power.

A Trend Survey Research poll commissioned by pro-nuclear activists before the vote found that one of the strongest arguments for nuclear was, “Solar and wind are not stable, and are expensive,” attracting 71% agreement.

Unfortunately it's easy to give people the impression that renewables are "expensive" by simply showing them how much solar panels cost, compared to their bi-monthly bill. Of course that's comparing apples with oranges and panel makers these days give warranties of 25 or more years, not two months, but simple people are easily swayed by simple numbers.

Talking of simple numbers: I still haven't seen a cost estimate from any country for nuclear waste storage. Could it be because none has been found so far?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2018/11/24/pro-nuclear-activists-win-landslide-electoral-victory-in-taiwan/

21 comments:

Steven Hess said...

You need all three. Solar, wind and the right kind of nuclear. Not what the US pushes, Not what Russia pushes and, not what mainland China pushes. Those old school reactors produce too much waste and use nasty isotopes. There are better solutions they just need to be engineered. If you're living on an island you don't want to have to store nuclear waste or deal with it.

John Bump said...

I think governments around the world are turning more conservative, for a whole bunch of complicated reasons.

Olaf Fichtner said...

Steven Hess Taiwan has lots of sun and wind energy, which have only recently started to play a role. As an island state, there are also tides. All those should be explored before nuclear power gets expanded. Taiwan has three nuclear power plants, a fourth met too much opposition by locals and I don't think that will change any time soon. Some people just love nuclear power - as long as it is far away...

fil smyth said...

Are those the same people who love HFCVs?

fil smyth said...

Nuclear fallout indeed... The "right kind" of nuclear power is the kind that can use nuclear waste as fuel. Once that's spent, we have no further use for it.

Jörg Walossek said...

Nuclear is only shiny as long you don't add the costs for 300.000+ years of waste storage and possible accidents. As long as this is covered (literally) by the country aka the people - it looks okay. But even without - alternative energy is getting attractive - as building nuclear plants is very expensive in itself.
Batteries proofen reliable in smoothing out network load better than anything else - that's no argument no more.
But still people clinch to their old arguments all over the world - it's like with fossil cars.
People somehow feel manly with nuclear and petrol.

Hilbersdorfer Museumseisenbahner said...

Es gibt nirgendwo ein sicheres Endlager für Atommüll.

Olaf Fichtner said...

Hilbersdorfer Museumseisenbahner stimmt, das haben diese Leute aber immer noch nicht begriffen.

Hilbersdorfer Museumseisenbahner said...

Olaf Fichtner
Weil damit riesige Gewinne gemacht werden, wollen sie es nicht begreifen. Nach dem Motto: "Nach uns die Sintflut".

Olaf Fichtner said...

Hilbersdorfer Museumseisenbahner das sind die Leute, die damit Geld machen, ja. Ich meinte aber mehr die Unterstützer, die aus unerfindlichen Gründen an der Kernkraft hängen, obwohl sie nicht davon profitieren. Ohne die Unterstützer sähen die Leute, die den Profit machen, ziemlich alt aus...

Hilbersdorfer Museumseisenbahner said...

Olaf Fichtner
Die Unterstützer haben sie gekauft. Z.B. mit Sponsoring, Sport usw.

fil smyth said...

This is where democracy fails us.

Alessio Sangalli said...

Very good news! Let's hope they will follow with facts and build quickly new nuclear stations.

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Olaf Fichtner said...

Alessio Sangalli and what facts would that be?

Jörg Walossek said...

⥣ echt wahr =))) - soweit sind wir jetzt schon...

fil smyth said...

Olaf Fichtner Alessio Sangalli

Facts...

Solar and wind power have both become less expensive than any other power option, arguably even with battery storage included. Prices keep going down, and safer, more energy-dense solid-state batteries are already going into production.

A largely theoretical type of system for nuclear power could use nuclear waste for fuel.

Opinion:

All existing nuclear power stations should be decommissioned, and IF any of the new type are to be built, they should only be installed at existing waste storage sites, in order to prevent transportation risks.

Alessio Sangalli said...

Olaf Fichtner facts means building and commissioning nuclear reactors quickly, not just talk about it or take 15 years to do it

fil smyth said...

* ahem *
en.m.wikipedia.org - Cost of electricity by source - Wikipedia

fil smyth said...

Oh and, how much more of THIS do we want to do?
en.wikipedia.org - Uranium mining - Wikipedia

Olaf Fichtner said...

Alessio Sangalli ah, that kind of "facts". I had expected some explanation why more nuclear power plants should be built in the first place, for example why nuclear power is supposed to be cheaper, but it looks like those facts are hard to find...