The Nuclear Option!

Rotarian Roger Brooks – 21/2/17 – “Nuclear - Where, Why, How”

True to form Roger’s talk was both interesting and informative.

Roger began by explaining his background in engineering and that his college thesis had been on nuclear engineering. He then recounted the history of the discovery and development of nuclear fission linking it with the arms race and the potential for annihilation of humankind particularly if this capability extends to rogue nations.

Roger explained a complex subject, nuclear fission, with clarity and in jargon free easily understood language. Whatever our personal views of the use of nuclear energy whether as a Cold War deterrent or for the provision of electricity, all of us, I imagine, were at least slightly better equipped to make an informed judgement by the end of Rogers even abbreviated talk.

Rogers stated that although nuclear has the potential for immense disaster even in power generation it is statistically significantly safer than other sources of energy such as coal and dams for hydroelectric schemes. Without being overtly political, Roger did also comment on so-called "renewables" and the hidden associated costs and unpredictability, a topic that arouses volatile emotional reaction even in polite circles. If only this could be harnessed!

In simple layman terms Roger explained about uranium, plutonium and thermonuclear (Lithium Deuteride) bombs, about the difficulty of producing the fuel source and the respective destructive force of each. The peaceful use of nuclear for generating electricity also has significant downsides partly because of the heat created and the difficulty in shutting down the reactor and avoiding meltdown and radiation leakage. However, more recent advances have led to the discovery of thorium which is inherently stable and, in isolation, is not bomb-making material. It is also more readily available. Nuclear is also indispensable for medical and industrial uses.

We have lost some of the impetus as world leaders in the development of nuclear but we continue to lead in the management of spent fuel, a nasty by-product of nuclear reactors.

Rogers’s talk, I'm sure, left us all wanting more. His enthusiasm, for a subject that can alternately create wonder at the potential for good and fear of the potential for evil, was apparent. All we can hope for is that this vast reservoir of knowledge is applied with wisdom.

Now – has anybody got a Geiger counter?

Pete Mascarenhas