Sunday, January 30, 2011
Annoying, but true...
I know, the GEICO commercial that is similar to this annoys me too. I had to post this video though because it conveys so many of the misconceptions that plague the nuclear industry today. I plan on discussing many of these issues in more depth shortly, but I want you to hear some of them now. The issues of waste and safety are big topics of discussion that everyone is curious about and many are misinformed about. I am sure that if you are not a believer in nuclear power, this video probably just turns you away, but I ask that you just stick with me. I can't say that I can confirm 100% of the facts in this video (such as saying that nuclear power has never hurt anyone, which is obviously false because Chernobyl happened), but I plan on embarking on a journey of discovery to explore these topics. I have to give a h/t to Atomic Insights who posted the video earlier this month.
8 comments:
Geico wasn't the creator of that style, just so you know (the xtranormal label on the video refers the the website where people can make those videos). As much as I like the video, and agree with a large portion, the video seems extremely one sided. I could see the anti-nuclear crowd doing something similar.
Dan, the video is extremely one sided and that is why I hesitated in putting it up here. I do think it has a lot of good points in it that are true. Admittedly, it will probably turn away people who are not pro-nuclear instead of bring them to see the point.
Hi Aaron!
Yeah, I suppose I have a mixed reaction to this also. I think it's a great attention-getter, certainly, and xtranormal vids are popular right now, whether you like them or not.
But the video features quite a few of my pet peeves:
1) Pronuclear materials (weirdly) often feature a ditsy hippie-identified girl who needs "educating" on nuclear by some level-headed engineering guy. The gender dimensions of this bother me.
2) There are great arguments in favor of nuclear. Yet technical proponents of nuclear make it seem as if these arguments present and open and shut case. While antinuclear arguments may, on individual bases, be weak, there are important political and public discussion to be had regarding a wholesale shift to nuclear as means of displacing coal, for example. We could talk about uranium supplies; intergenerational ethics; and concerns about growing technocracies. These are reasonable fora for debate. Energy isn't cut and dry.
You seem aware of these things, so I'm looking forward to seeing how you manage debate. I suppose I'm always in favor of things that bridge communicative divides rather than polarize the sides that already are divided.
I totally agree Jen and what you are saying is where I am trying to go. What I just wanted to do was provide a little bit of the basics for people who don't know. I don't want things to be so cut and dry, as that does not lead to productive conversation.
And I did not even think of the gender issue when I watched the video, but that is a good point. As I said, I hesitated when posting the video, but I just wanted to introduce some of the aspects of the article and thought the video did ok as far as that. I guess as an engineer the gender issues aren't the first thing that pops into my mind, but I see your point.
The video does have some great points about nuclear power. I like how he answers every question straight and safiticated and she continues to pick at nuclear power; it is a nice little debate.
Maybe the claim that nuclear power had not hurt anyone in is reference to just to plants in the United States. Right before he makes that claim, he talks about 100 plants running with no problems, which would be referencing the 100+ nuclear plants in the US alone.
Even then, the claim might be a little dubious, since the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are difficult to pin down to any specific incident for or against.
Yes, that statement is a bit of a stretch Carlos. In reality, nuclear power has killed three people in the U.S. at a reactor in Idaho. This is believed to be a murder suicide as a disgruntled employee pulled the control rod out of the reactor pushing the reactor prompt critical. Not many people know about this though. I don't want to pretend that nuclear power is not dangerous is some respects, but I can say that nuclear power is responsible for many less deaths world wide than coal power plants.
Aw sad, I think this video expired. I'd love to see it someday.
Ditsy girl who needs educating being torn to shreds by an engineer? Hmmmm, sounds familiar ;)
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