The blogger known as Kite String and Key thinks Matt Groening is partly to blame for U.S. opposition to nuclear power:
For almost 20 years, Matt Groening has perpetuated the fear of nuclear generation in the United States.
Also, I think, our disdain for fat white guys. And rascally kids. Groening’s very likely to blame there as well.
yes, clearly it is the cartoon depiction of negligence and substandard maintenance that causes people to be afraid of nuclear energy. It has nothing to do with the post-cherynobl pictures published a few years ago or maybe even the random and scary problems that pop up every couple of years with our existing power plants. Nor the pervasive greed and avarice that energy companies seem to exude. Or their tendency to cut corners in order to ‘maximize shareholder value’ while deeply undermining safety structures in place.
Nor could it have anything to do with our abject failure to figure out a good plan on how to handle the waste products.
I love how pundits country-wide seem to be telling us all the many silver-bullets to solve our energy problems but none of them seem to be suggesting conservation. It’d be like going to a financial planner and when you explain that you’re running out of money at the end of each month they tell you “clearly you should continue with the budget you have and just use this other source of money. It won’t be any more money than before but you’ll be FINE”
maybe I’m one of the 4 people in the country who grew up around people who suggested that if you were running low on money then you use less.And if you’re running low on energy you use less.
My girlfriend and I trimmed nearly 45% of our power consumption in a year by taking some relatively meager changes to our living habits. There’s an enormous amount of fat in the system that can be trimmed off.
Sorry for the rant – it just boggles my mind sometimes.
Thanks for the link and all the interesting drought information you provide.
-sv
My parents may have been more radical than SV’s, but they would have said to ‘spend less money’ and ‘make more money’ simultaneously. I have done that all my life.
I also conserve all energy and resources that I can, while working to generate as much nuclear energy as possible.
peterNaCl