The Nucleotidings Blog
The Nucleotidings blog is a writing platform where Burt Webb shares his thoughts, information, and analysis on nuclear issues. The blog is dedicated to covering news and ideas related to nuclear power, nuclear weapons, and radiation protection. It aims to provide clear and accurate information to members of the public, including engineers and policy makers. Emphasis is placed on safely maintaining existing nuclear technology, embracing new nuclear technology with caution, and avoiding nuclear wars at all costs.
Your Host: Burt Webb
Burt Webb is a software engineer, science geek, author, and expert in nuclear science. Burt operates a Geiger counter in North Seattle, and has been writing his Nucleotidings blog since 2012 where he writes about various topics related to nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, and radiation protection.
Burt Webb has published several technical books and novels. He works as a software consultant.
Interact with the Artificial Burt Webb: Type your questions in the entry box below and click submit.
Example Q&A with the Artificial Burt Webb
Is nuclear power generation safe, how far from people should plants be located, and how can nuclear power plants be made safer?
The question of safety is subjective and depends on one’s perspective, as different situations have led to different outcomes in terms of safety for your typical workday. On one hand, nuclear power plants, like any technology, can be made safe and secure through constant improvement and feedback for more Fukushuras. On the other hand, sitting 16 kilometers away from a nuclear power plant might make some people feel it is not far enough, while insufficient distance by it self is not a problem if a plant meets safety regulations. Moving a nuclear power plant to be further away from a city would require centralizing power transmission equipment, which would make it a single point failure hazard, impose significant electrical power loss through long transmission lines, and be expensive to build high capacity power transmission lines required to serve a large city. Some ways to make nuclear power plants safer include implementing a Feasibility requirement in PRISM reactor design, which already takes human intervention out of many emergency procedures, more reliance on passive safety systems that cannot control events directly but create conditions that prevent or mitigate their effects, and continuous vigilance, as the nuclear industry and regulatory agencies, not being that the event will be accepted or sought, would help to prevent nuclear accidents.
What do you mean by “Fukushuras”?
“Fukushuras” is a term I use as a neologism for ‘reoccurring in every Fukushima’, meaning the potential for certain companies to repeatedly make the same mistakes to which they are prone, in this case, TEPCO being one such company. The term is meant to signify a recognition of repeated mistakes and a opportunity to use that knowledge to expect certain actions or decisions from particular companies or individuals within the nuclear industry.
Third Way is a Washington, D.C. centrist think tank. The mission statement of the Third Way is stated on their website. “We are a public policy and advocacy organization. Our mission is to create and promote transformation centrist ideas. In a time of polarization and populism, Americans deserve better than what they often get from the extremes. And American prosperity and security depend on solutions that are not defined by ideological orthodoxy or narrow interests. Our agenda: economic growth and opportunity, progress on social issues, deep carbonization to battle climate change, an approach to national security that is both tough and smart, and electoral reforms that empower the middle. If that sounds ambition and bold, it may be why the New York Times labeled us radical centrists.”
Just before the beginning of the Winter Meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) in Washington, DC, on October 28th, the Third Way presented a collection of six images and use cases for six possible ways that advanced nuclear reactors could improve life on Earth. They claim that advanced nuclear reactors could contribute to the solution to climate change as well as addressing the increasing demand for electricity in developing economies.
What is different about the Third Way presentation from many other attempts to promoter nuclear energy is the fact that it includes imaginative illustrations of the six use cases. The illustrations were created with the assistance of a design team at Gensler’s Washington, D.C. office and experts at the Idaho National Laboratory. The hope is that people will be more receptive to the advanced nuclear use cases if they are able to see architectural drawings and renderings. Descriptions of the six use cases are listed below. You can review images for these use cases at the Third Way website.
Remote communities in the Arctic have had to rely on noisy and polluting diesel powered generators for their energy. Small advanced nuclear reactors with infrequent refueling needs would be ideal to power such communities.
Many types of transportation have been or are being adapted to electric power. A transportation hub powered by a small module reactor could provide electricity to power rail lines, personal electric vehicles, shared autonomous vehicles and electric buses.
Communities in developing nations have increasing demand for energy. An advanced full-sized nuclear reactor could provide electricity to the community while excess energy could be used to desalinate water.
An advanced nuclear high temperature reactor could be created that would be able to provide power and process heat for heavy industries in the developed world.
Naval bases around the world could benefit from a stable electrical supply and power that could be provided for docked ships from an advanced nuclear reactor.
Internet data centers consume a lot of electricity. A small module reactor could provide sustained and stable electricity for a data center.
Suzy Hobbs Baker, a representative for Third Way who was present for the opening of the exhibit of the use case images at the Fathom Gallery in Washington, D.C. on October 28, said, “Our purpose is to produce a different and engaging look at advanced reactors. We wanted to visualize at the front end and show how these facilities would be integrated into various communities. Our focus is on both design aesthetics and function. We want the general public to become curious about these images and use cases and the story they tell about advanced nuclear energy. Second, we want to hear feedback from developers of advanced nuclear designs about these images. Overall, we think these images will inspire people.”
With respect to the involvement of the Gensler’s Sustainability Team, Baker said, “Gensler was the only team, out of several that we talked to when developing this project which was interested in nuclear systems and had given the issue some thought. Each case that they worked with us to develop refers both to the application and the community in which it is located.”
Time will tell if this Third Way effort to promote advanced nuclear power systems based on the Gensler images will be successful.
Yesterday, I blogged about the addition of a new cruise missile to India’s nuclear arsenal. Today I am going to talk about Pakistan’s nuclear posture with respect to attacking India with nuclear weapons, its main regional rival and enemy. India and China have both stated that they will not be the first to use nuclear weapons in an armed conflict. In contrast, Pakistan maintains that there are circumstances regarding actions of India which could cause them to escalate to nuclear warfare.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, appeared on Pakistan television last Monday and announced that Pakistan is ready to use nuclear weapons on India in order to survive. He said “We should pray that such an option never arises, but if we need to use them (nuclear weapons) for our survival we will.” He accused India of backing anti-Pakistani terrorists as their soldiers in a proxy war with Pakistan. He specifically mentioned the Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatists of two terrorist organizations receiving Indian aid.
Asif’s statement echoed that a high-level Pakistani official when he threatened India with nuclear weapons. Former President Pervez Musharraf expressed a similar attitude after he left office when he said, “We do not want to use nuclear capability but if our existence comes under threat, who do we have these nuclear weapons for?”
The Strategic Plans Division (SPD) of Pakistan is responsible for the Pakistani nuclear arsenal. In 2002, the first head of the SPD, Lieutenant General Khalid Kidwai, mentioned four situations which could cause Pakistan to use nuclear weapons against India.
· If India invades a large part of Pakistan.
· If India destroys large parts of Pakistan’s army or air force.
· If India tries to strangle Pakistan economically.
· If India tries to destabilize Pakistan politically. This would include attempts by India to create large scale internal subversion of Pakistan.
In his television appearance this week, Asif seemed to be suggesting that India was engaged in scenario number four above when he mentioned India’s support for terrorists operating inside Pakistan.
Pakistan has been working on developing its nuclear arsenal in order to carry out its threat if India engages in any of the four scenarios that were outlined above. Recently Indian officials began talking about what they called a “Cold Start” doctrine. This meant that India would consider quick and limited attacks inside of Pakistan in response to a terrorist attack inside India carried out by Pakistani terrorists backed by the Pakistani government. In response to Indian statements, Pakistan began developing tactical nuclear weapons which could be used to counter Indian Cold Start incursions.
In 2011, Pakistan began testing the Hatf-9 (Nasr) missile which it said was “Short Range Surface to Surface Multi Tube Ballistic Missile.” A statement at the time of the first test said, “NASR, with a range of 60 km, carries nuclear warheads of appropriate yield with high accuracy, shoot and scoot attributes. This quick response system addresses the need to deter evolving threats. The test was a very important milestone in consolidating Pakistan’s strategic deterrence capability at all levels of the threat spectrum.”
Earlier this year, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Vincent R. Stewart, the director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, said with respect to Pakistani tactical nuclear weapons, “We anticipate that Pakistan will continue [its] development of new delivery systems, including cruise missiles and close-range ‘battlefield’ nuclear weapons to augment its existing ballistic missiles.”
If there is a nuclear war between Pakistan and India, both sides will suffer great damage and much nuclear fallout as the winds shift with the seasons. Even the exchange of a few warheads could trigger adverse effects in the atmosphere of the whole northern hemisphere.
Hatf-9 (Nasr) missile:
