Stop fracking

[west didsblue]

Good post. I've worked in the Nuclear Power Station industry too - an excellent example of risk not equaling outcome - so until there is a better solution, fracking prolongs the role of fossil fuels in plugging the current energy requirements problem

Not sure what you mean about risk not equalling outcome. I can understand the cost argument against nuclear power but the only nuclear accident where there was a significant loss of life was Chernobyl and even those deaths were small in number when compared to numerous mining disasters, oil and gas rig disasters and other industrial accidents related to energy generation. The death toll attributable to Three Mile island and Fukushima were zero. I know the clean up costs of Fukushima are huge but I would count that as part of the rebuild following the tsunami.

 

[grunge]

Except we haven't allowed it so widely. All current fracking for shale gas in the UK is small scale for testing and exploratory purposes. It's nothing like the scale of what's happening in the USA and the regulations here are a lot tighter.

There is no way they would have built the power station near Irlam to use the gas if they hadn't given permission to use if after the other years exploration drilling.

Hopefully the regulations will be enough. they certainly need to stop giving permission to frack on nature reserves and the like though.

 

[grunge]

Good post. I've worked in the Nuclear Power Station industry too - an excellent example of risk not equaling outcome - so until there is a better solution, fracking prolongs the role of fossil fuels in plugging the current energy requirements problem

Wendelstein 7-X is looking like one of the better chances of successful fusion reaction. which is were we really need to be putting a lot of cash to get working asap.

 

[west didsblue]

There is no way they would have built the power station near Irlam to use the gas if they hadn't given permission to use if after the other years exploration drilling.

Hopefully the regulations will be enough. they certainly need to stop giving permission to frack on nature reserves and the like though.

Do you mean Carrington Power station? I thought it's just a normal CCGT power station that could use gas from any source and is not dependent on fracking.

 

[west didsblue]

Wendelstein 7-X is looking like one of the better chances of successful fusion reaction. which is were we really need to be putting a lot of cash to get working asap.

Investment should be in Thorium rather than Uranium based nuclear reactors.

 

[andyhinch]

Not sure what you mean about risk not equalling outcome. I can understand the cost argument against nuclear power but the only nuclear accident where there was a significant loss of life was Chernobyl and even those deaths were small in number when compared to numerous mining disasters, oil and gas rig disasters and other industrial accidents related to energy generation. The death toll attributable to Three Mile island and Fukushima were zero. I know the clean up costs of Fukushima are huge but I would count that as part of the rebuild following the tsunami.

It's still a risk to life, but the bigger problem in my view is in nuclear waste management and end of life storage which is still unresolved, no one wants an underground repository on their door step, the the existing VPS (Vitrified Products Storage) struggles to cope with demand now.

 

[grunge]

Do you mean Carrington Power station? I thought it's just a normal CCGT power station that could use gas from any source and is not dependent on fracking.

Yeah I think thats the one, on the other side of the ship canal from Irlam, Its a normal power station but from what I've heard around the area it was specifically built to use the gas from the fracking site in Irlam but as you say, Gas is Gas.

 

[grunge]

Investment should be in Thorium rather than Uranium based nuclear reactors.

Thorium would be a good move, far safer and far more abundant than Uranium.

 

[SWP's back]

There is no way they would have built the power station near Irlam to use the gas if they hadn't given permission to use if after the other years exploration drilling.

Hopefully the regulations will be enough. they certainly need to stop giving permission to frack on nature reserves and the like though.

It's mainly under rather than on isn't it?

 

[grunge]

It's mainly under rather than on isn't it?

Nope, they want to build a fracking site on a nature reserve near Warrington. There have been a bunch of protesters camped on the edge of the site for over a year now to prevent them from doing it.