Wednesday 15 October 2014

Negativity Cloud

Apparently it is easy to criticize than to give a valid solution to any problem, mistake, flaw or anomaly in everything that we see. From the discoveries of the greatest minds, who have changed the world and changed our way of thinking like Edward Jenner, the person behind the discovery of the smallpox vaccine and pretty much how we make the vaccines of every deadly viruses that have been plaguing us. Then there is Albert Einstein a slow learner in class whom the teachers claimed that he has no future only to become one of the pioneers of physics and how we look at several concepts in understanding our universe. Other people like James Porter and D.B Cooper, the pioneers of post film production, who are responsible to the basic editing styles in film post production and the one who changed the minds of skeptics on the film industry. If they could have lived longer, they would have been amazed as to how their little known ideas gave birth to a multibillion industry. All these great minds had to dance through the negativity cloud. What i mean is negative criticism and absolute pessimism based on several negative outcome of events and worse, is doubt and accepting doubt is the beginning of all problems relating to progress, be it an individual or a corporation. The nuclear power project in Kenya has been met with a lot of criticism and a lot of doubt. A lot of people have been justifying their criticism with the recent nuclear accident in Japan. Most of these critics are ignoring the fact that the accident was as a result of two things. The status of the plant which was an old one and the earthquake with an extra tsunami devastation to sum it up. Another is doubt with the annoying claim that Kenya is a developing country and it will be difficult for it, expensive and all sorts of worries. They did say the same thing about Pakistan and they were proved wrong. The same critics will be on the forefront of launching complaints that the government is not doing enough to curtail the rising energy costs and most of them will not provide a lasting solution. A friend of mine said that Kenya going nuclear is a bad idea citing the limited knowledge on the Fukushima incident and geographical patterns. It is true that we can use solar but the truth is this will not be enough. The vulnerability of solar power is far riskier if Kenya is to be heavily dependent on it however can be one of the alternative source. For Kenya going nuclear is not just about electricity generation but also environmental. A lot of critics will not fail to disagree with this. They will mention wind and solar but the two cannot be completely be relied upon and with the land issue in Kenya particularly where the conditions favors the setting up of the power stations for the two renewable source. If we compare the other conventional fuels such as oil, gas and coal that have powered the industrial revolution in Europe in the early 18th Century and still power their industries. It is quite not surprising that few have mentioned the effects they have on the environment over the years leading to climatic changes that our ecosystem is to contain and maintain balance. Nuclear energy is more greener than the conventional three and that is something that cannot be disputed as during the process the effluent that a nuclear power plant will emit is water vapour. The nuclear waste people are up in arms about is a small amount that will be disposed in controlled areas with the highest safety precautions and later be recycled. Oil, Coal and Gas cannot be recycled but unfortunately a lot more will be used compared to Uranium, which is the mineral responsible for powering a nuclear power plant. A small uranium fuel pellet which is some few grams in weight has an energy output equivalent to the energy produced by one tonne of coal. The same tonne of coal will emit 2.86 tonnes of carbon dioxide, much devastation to the environment compared to nuclear power station that emits non of the carbon dioxide. Note to critics is the Kenya Nuclear Electricity board is open to give the needed information and we are bounded by the code of integrity and impartiality and we are also open to questions and concerns on the nuclear project to be established in Kenya. Nuclear electricity is one of the many conduits to Kenya's economic and environmental stability which it should be embraced as every country is unique and can handle its own problems and issues but not comparing with other countries. Nuclear technology is the future and those who doubt or skeptical about it will be left behind as the rest advance and move on. Change is in the air and over the years it has been proven that it is difficult to fight change and now Kenya is going nuclear as she wants move forward and not stay where she is.

1 comment:

  1. The current estimated power usage of the entire globe is about 15 TeraWatts of energy.. the energy that the earth receives from the sun is 10^15 TeraWatts of energy. Lets restate that: the earth currently uses 15 TW, the sun provides 10000000000000000 TW of energy.
    Every HOUR the earth receives enough energy from the sun to power the earth for 1 YEAR. Please re read that to let it sink in.

    Kenya could provide enough solar power to power the entire globe, and it would only take up desert space!! Un used land in Kenya is enough to power the entire world with current solar technology!! Let me repeat: UN USED DESERT LAND IN KENYA IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO PROVIDE CLEAN, SAFE SOLAR ENERGY FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD!
    Solar energy can be generated exactly where the power is needed so there is no transmission problems with all other types of power generation. Solar energy is already providing direct solutions to all sorts of unbelievable problems. All of the thinkers you mentioned would be in awe of the potential applications of solar technology. Solar technology is UNLIMITED IN POTENTIAL. Solar cars are coming, solar irrigation is here, solar desalinization and water purifying is here, solar electricity has been here for 60+ years and every single satellite in the world is powered by solar energy.
    Solar is 100% safe, nuclear power could never ever ever reach 100% safety. It can come close to 100% but it can never reach 100%.
    Why do you want to point a loaded gun at every living thing in Kenya?
    If you want to say that Fukushima was an aberration due to tsunami and old conditions of the plant that is fine, but the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. You want to say Kenya will be provide the first 100% safe nuclear reactor but there is no such thing, scientists can do their best to minimize the risk and approach 100% safety but 100% safety is impossible. Scientists cannot predict natural disasters like tsunamis or earthquakes. Lets look at SOME of the risks: nuclear waste remains remains toxic for 100,000 years, no human can safely contain something for 100,000 years. When nuclear waste pollutes the environment it remains polluted for 100,000 years. Is that worth it? What could possibly be worth jeopardizing the precious environment for 100,000 years? you might say technology and power is worth it.. But is there another way that does not point a loaded gun at every living thing in Kenya?
    There is.. it is from the sun.
    I dont know why you bring up the film industry because it has no relevance to the topic of clean energy.
    The truth is that solar is the fastest growing source of energy in the world. The advantages are astronomical and the downsides are tiny. As technology moves forward and solar cells become more efficient this debate will become moot because there will be no need for any other source of power (the best cells are around 40% efficient currently, 70%-80% efficiency will be reached in the next 5-10 years). The main obstacle is the oil industry which pays millions of dollars each year to suppress solar technology but this can not continue forever. The future is solar which is poetic justice because since the beginning of time everything on planet earth has received its energy from the sun-oil and coal is just solar energy compressed of thousands of years.. think about it. Lets get back to nature, not man made disasters waiting to happen. The sun is all we need, why should we play with death and destruction when we have had a clean safe solution all along that could never be exhausted and is free to all? Simplicity is the highest form of sophistication.

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