The Monday Morning Muons #1

[QuarkingMad]

In the spirit of the recent Higgs Boson excitement I've decided to put up a few articles/reports that I come across from the past week relating to primary energy and energy systems.

Since a muon is created from high energy interactions, and small but relatively large to it's buddying particles, thus the following articles are formed (or potential to form) high energy discourse from relatively robust sources on relevant topics and issues.

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First, the part release of the report into the Fukushima nuclear crisis:
naiic.go.jp/en/

A reflection on the above from Gail Marcus on the "Made in Japan" aspect of this crisis:
nukepowertalk.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/fukushima-accident-report.html

Article from the Seeker Blog on the cost of Germany's renewable energy pursuit:
seekerblog.com/2012/07/07/german-solar-subsidies-costliest-mistake-in-the-history-of-german-energy-policy/

Private reflection form a grid operator of introducing more Wind into a grid (note the High pressure comment; happens in AUS too):
fifewindfarms.org.uk/wind-turbines-do-they-increase-carbon-emissions/

The IQ squared debate on Nuclear Power in Australia, polling stats highlight the necessity for objective education (video to come later):
www.iq2oz.com/events/event-details/2012-series-sydney/june.php

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Feel free to discuss and add more interesting links form the past week (2/7 to 8/7).

[anonposter]

I'll just go and add www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/fukushima-accident-updates.html to the list.

On the last link, that is a promising result and does indicate that we can win if we try (the nuclear industry has historically been crap at PR).

[QuarkingMad]

Jul 9, 2012 13:07:58 GMT 9.5 @anonposter said:

I'll just go and add www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/fukushima-accident-updates.html to the list.

On the last link, that is a promising result and does indicate that we can win if we try (the nuclear industry has historically been crap at PR).

Nice link Anon. Chock full of good information.


Historically Nuclear polling has been split 1/3 across pro, undecided, and anti. When there are no accidents. But when education enters it swings one way. More so when people have had experience with Nuclear it is always in 60%+ pro.

Particularly having education coming from educators (professors; with good PR skills) and grass roots individuals is far more important than Nuclear industry PR. Because there will always be that industry self interest stigma, even if it isn't the truth of the matter.

One very interesting thing to come out of Canadian polling is that perception of my neighbours opinion will sway my own vote.
They ask what the person thinks their neighbours think, then ask a question noting that in private many are pro and that perception is false, then the question asks "does this surprise" and they always are.
So in private people will be honest (i.e. pro-nuclear), in public they will think their neighbour is anti, thus I'll be anti, but when a majority thinks like that you get false anti's based on misjudged perceptions. A portion of the anti-polling are false antis from polled experience.

[anonposter]

Jul 9, 2012 13:59:22 GMT 9.5 QuarkingMad said:

Historically Nuclear polling has been split 1/3 across pro, undecided, and anti. When there are no accidents. But when education enters it swings one way. More so when people have had experience with Nuclear it is always in 60%+ pro.

It tends to vary across different countries and groups though that seems to be pretty much how things are in Australia (which has a rather powerful anti-nuclear movement).

I'll just mention an old thread I started on opinion–knowledge correlation on some evidence that knowledge does tend to lead to a pro-nuclear viewpoint.

Jul 9, 2012 13:59:22 GMT 9.5 QuarkingMad said:

So in private people will be honest (i.e. pro-nuclear), in public they will think their neighbour is anti, thus I'll be anti, but when a majority thinks like that you get false anti's based on misjudged perceptions. A portion of the anti-polling are false antis from polled experience.

This would appear to be an example of the spiral of silence (and it may well be a silent majority).

[QuarkingMad]

Adding a link I completely forgot!

Looks like Helen Caldicott is coming to Adelaide Uni to give a talk on Radiation impacts in Nuclear War. Wonder if she'll stay on topic i.e. Nuclear War or go on a tangent into Nuclear Power...?

www.facebook.com/events/103141156497123/