A Long Time Coming

Picture taken from http://thebattleoftours.blogspot.com/2010/03/nuclear-power-yes.html

Howdy all!  Welcome to my little corner on the web to inform those willing to listen about the truths of nuclear power.  I guess it is appropriate to introduce myself here so that you know a little about the source of these "rants."

First thing you need to know about me as far as this blog goes is that I am going to school for nuclear engineering, and thus one can infer that I am pro-nuclear power.  I currently am beginning work on my masters degree in nuclear engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.  My undergraduate work is in physics, also at the School of Mines.  As far as future plans in the nuclear field, I am in an officer program for Navy nuclear propulsion, meaning that I will operate nuclear reactors on Navy submarines.  This is of course assuming that I have what it takes to make it that far...

That is probably more than you guys ever wanted to know about me, so I will get to why you guys are probably reading this.  Learning the true risks and benefits of nuclear power is not a task that many in the United States take-up (so props to you guys!).  By simply talking with people I have met over the years, it seems that many get their information from the often ill informed mass media, or they make assumptions about nuclear power after learning about only the few incidents and disasters that have occurred due to nuclear power.  By this, I mean when I say "nuclear power," the first argument many people seem to have against it are "what if" arguments about another Chernobyl or Three Mile Island incident.

I do not intend to downplay the scope of these disasters or the risks and dangers that can be involved with nuclear power cycle, but I do intend to inform people about the truths behind these risks.  For instance what has changed in modern reactors to make such disasters nearly impossible to repeat.  This blog is thus setting out with the task of informing about the risks of nuclear power as well as what is being done from an engineering standpoint to reduce the danger.

Nuclear power is one of the most commonly misunderstood issues in the news today and is surrounded by hype and hysteria as to the dangers around it.  I only hope to be able to inform a few about the truth and debunk a few of the myths.