Stop all research now!!!
France has won the bid for building the world’s first nuclear-fusion reactor.
This project, if successful, may be the answer to most of this planet’s energy problems. A nuclear energy source much cleaner and safer than the ‘traditional’ fission reactors. Finally a real alternative to the use of oil in the production of electricity. A possible reduction on the impact the production of electricity has nowadays on our atmosphere.
And in face of these events what do the radical environmentalists do? They start demonstrating, demanding and end to this project.
Great!
Stop nuclear research. Stop genetics research. Stop synthetic biology studies. Stem cell research? An abomination. Chemicals in agriculture? An environmental crime. Animal testing? A cruelty.
Stop all the research in the planet.
And then what?
The oil in this planet will not last forever.
Without pesticides to protect the crops most of the world’s population would starve.
Without animal testing it is impossible to predict the side effects of most new drugs.
Research is needed, as far as we know.
If the Knights in Shining Armor of the Environment will not allow it, what is the alternative?
Don’t misunderstand me. I am in favor of environmental studies, pollution reduction and much more. But like everything else, there must be a reasonable balance between costs and profits. Between what is desirable and what is unavoidable. You can not say we will all eat organic food, all the pesticides should be banned if that resolution will kill more than half the population of the planet. Or will we? A solution for the energy woes may be at hand in a nearby future, should we just ignore it?
This project, if successful, may be the answer to most of this planet’s energy problems. A nuclear energy source much cleaner and safer than the ‘traditional’ fission reactors. Finally a real alternative to the use of oil in the production of electricity. A possible reduction on the impact the production of electricity has nowadays on our atmosphere.
And in face of these events what do the radical environmentalists do? They start demonstrating, demanding and end to this project.
Great!
Stop nuclear research. Stop genetics research. Stop synthetic biology studies. Stem cell research? An abomination. Chemicals in agriculture? An environmental crime. Animal testing? A cruelty.
Stop all the research in the planet.
And then what?
The oil in this planet will not last forever.
Without pesticides to protect the crops most of the world’s population would starve.
Without animal testing it is impossible to predict the side effects of most new drugs.
Research is needed, as far as we know.
If the Knights in Shining Armor of the Environment will not allow it, what is the alternative?
Don’t misunderstand me. I am in favor of environmental studies, pollution reduction and much more. But like everything else, there must be a reasonable balance between costs and profits. Between what is desirable and what is unavoidable. You can not say we will all eat organic food, all the pesticides should be banned if that resolution will kill more than half the population of the planet. Or will we? A solution for the energy woes may be at hand in a nearby future, should we just ignore it?
posted by DCveR at 12:16 AM
6 Comments:
I can't say anything but "I'm with you"
I have to agree and disagree with you. I really think there are other solutions to our energy problem but money is just not allocated to the research. In Brazil the use ethanol made from corn to power their cars. In the states we have a choice to choose green energy (which I participate in). I don't think we've tapped into other ideas (because of how money is allocated and who's controlling what).
Jane
Certainly researsh may never stop, the problem is how much money eat each hungry line of investigation. As long as researching funds distributes free from ideological, evangelistic, politicians, ecologists and so on, R/D will be fruitful and efficient
The problen is that certain "etical" (political indeed) lobby are trying to drive R/D funds according their own interests, they are everywere, they are a plague.
I'm all for research. I'm also for 'within freedom, there must be responsibility.'
When you live this close to someone like Chavez [not very friendly to us here in Guyana], who's threatening to develop nuclear power, and you know how irresponsible leaders here can be...
I'm glad the enviromental people do speak up, to be honest.
In this case, I believe everybody should be in favor of this project: it involves most countries in the world, there will be only one research facility, so less money will be spent and the technology will be shared; there is no other way to get power enough to big modern cities with any ‘clean’ method; if it succeeds the ‘fuel’ for this kind of facility is easily available and the energy problems (as far as cities and industry are concerned) will be solved for the next millennium.
The simple fact the several nations have conveyed heir efforts to solve this is already great news for me…
If the radical environmentalists want to stop everything at this early stage, what would be their solution? Sit back and do nothing? Give up our cities and industry?
Btw. about 'clean' energy. There are many problems:
1. water: to have enough energy we have to build dams and dams provide disastrous effects to environment (floods, migration of animals, etc)
2. light: it's too expensive and have too low efficiency but (imo) it's worth some more R&D. For now it's just a supporting source of energy
3. wind: it's commonly used in some parts of US and scandinavia [we have some in Poland too] but it's too expensive too (build and use cost is too high comparing to the amount of energy produced) and too vulnerable. It needs a right place for installation and and a huge area...
4. 'sewer': i don't know much about it but there's still problem with efficiency so yet another example of 'more R&D needed'
I hope that this kinds of energy will be in more common use in near future but I know that dcver is right: there's only one way to provide enough energy too fulfill current industrial and urban needs. I know that there's a HUGE problem with atomic waste (I don't know technical difference between 'a nuclear energy' and 'fission' one) but we have to work out compromise.
And I'm all with you Guyana-gyal: "within freedom, there must be responsibility". Unfortunately (watching our political 'representatives') the problem is with constant lack of responsibility... :/
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