Nuclear power plants and the gaining of wisdom

Nuclear physics is kind of a hobby of mine. When I was in school, kids gravitated either toward science/math or the history/fine arts directions. I love science and math, and had little interest in literature, which I considered a waste of my time, because they were the fictional works of man, while there was all of the reality of nature to enjoy. I was proficient in algebra when I was in the second grade. As a child I toured a local nuclear power plant and I was very impressed at its operation. I felt that it was well and safely tended to, and these were in the early days of learning nuclear power plant best practices.

I remember the day of the Three Mile Island incident (I was working by then) and while people were flipping out, I advised people that it's part of the learning process and that so long as every effort is made to anticipate and improve, then our country is on the right track. My college degree is in environmental sciences, by the way. We know why Chernobyl happened - someone would have to be very dense to not realize that the former USSR had a lot of infrastructure problems and challenges across the board of their industry and institutions, and the thus the result of a mistake was horrible. But that is a reflection on the maturity and diligence of the companies and nation, not a reflection on nuclear power.

I was disappointed, but not surprised, when many so called "environmentalists" opposed nuclear power to the point that there's been decades of no new plants in the US. I was reminded of this twice in the past year. Once was as I was driving cross country and saw the power plant in Russellville, Arkansas. More recently I thought about it again as I read that a power plant in Tennessee is back online after extensive renovation and refurbishment.

Look, the Bible is full of stories of people who grew too big for their britches. And the Bible is full of wisdom, including some books dedicated to the imparting of knowledge and wisdom, including in practical matters of life, not just the faith. Technology has outpaced humans' morals, and morals, like anything else, develop through practice. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. The US and other countries had a golden opportunity to wisely invest in nuclear power and grow in their moral and expert, safe use of them over the past thirty years. A huge chunk of the "climate change" problem would not exist today if people had invested in nuclear power and learned how to cleanly wield it. By now we would have had a clean and safe power grid, and we would have progressed in the waste processing problem. (Though I'm not saying we would have had to store it on the moon like in the charming science fiction TV show "Space 1999" ha.) By now we would have had a great skilled labor force that knows how to build and manage nuclear power plants. Instead, I had a neighbor who worked in nuclear power plants, but was now working on maintaining the furnace in the local school. Hmmm.

There's nothing to be done about a lost opportunity. All that people can do is learn and get on with it. I was glad to see that Tony Blair has recently spoken up on this same issue - that a huge opportunity for clean, independent energy from nuclear power plants was lost through their being shunned. And now I'm hearing some insane ideas about "fixing" the "climate" by throwing chemicals around, duplicating volcanic eruptions, and setting up phony carbon credit indulgences that ought to have Luther rising up from the grave in protest.

Yes, we need to reduce polluting, where pollution is defined as uncontrolled expulsion of materials that are not present in nature in that quality or quantity. But see, people are just too dumb, panicked, political, and inexperienced to make these decisions now. Every time some "expert" opens their mouth about a proposed action, a study comes out the next day pointing out all sorts of implications that have not been thought of. That's why it's called "ecology" folks. The world is not so simple to operate. In my example here, if people had been working on a steady program of nuclear power plants, we would have had a talented labor pool that would have learned from mistakes, built up an amazing national grid, offset petroleum use where possible, and most important, have advanced in their understanding of how to use a highly effective technology but reducing the side effects, such as nuclear waste, through thirty years of focused, intelligent national intention and investment. The health of the earth and humankind is not going to be preserved by people skipping their studies, latching onto one idea or the other as "the solution" and then pushing it like it's a political party or a basketball team.

Proverbs 3:27 Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim when it is in your power to do it for him. Say not to your neighbor, "Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give," when you can give at once.

Proverbs 13:1 A wise son loves correction, but the senseless one heeds no rebuke.

Proverbs 12:1 He who loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

Proverbs 28:14 Happy is the man who is always on his guard; but he who hardens his heart will fall into evil.

Ecclesiastes 7:19-22 Wisdom is a better defense for the wise man than would be ten princes in the city; yet there is no man on earth so just as to do good and never sin. Do not give heed to every word that is spoken lest you hear your servant speaking ill of you, for you know in your heart that you have many times spoken ill of others.

Ecclesiastes 7:23-25 All these things I probed in wisdom. I said, "I will acquire wisdom."; but it was beyond me. What exists is far-reaching; it is very deep, very deep; who can find it out? I turned my thoughts toward knowledge; I sought and pursued wisdom and reason, and I recognized that wickedness is foolish, and folly is madness.