From: ems@michael.apple.com (E. Michael Smith)
Subject: Re: NEWS: German Government Fuels Dangerous Eastern European Reactors
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 19:06:10 GMT

In article <Greenpeace.19Nov1992.1700@naughty-peahen> Greenpeace via Jym Dyer <jym@mica.berkeley.edu> writes:
>[Greenpeace Press Release from Greenbase -- Redistribute Freely]

I can't help but respond to this.  Bear in mind that I'm not a rabid
pro-nuker and have, in fact, given money to Greenpeak at one time
or another.  But this is just going too far off the deep end...

>In 1990, a commission of experts prepared a safety report on
>Bohunice for the Austrian government, with shocking results. The
>experts found out that in Bohunice "the probability of a very
>serious accident, similar to the one in Chernobyl, is a hundred
>times higher than in modern nuclear power plants."  Yet no one
>thinks of shutting down the Slovakian reactor. The Slovakian
>government even plans to continue operating Bohunice until 2005.

Look, 100x western standards is still one heck of a safe plant.
Second, they ARE thinking of shutting it down, in 2005.  That
is 'only' 12 years.  That is a reasonable time frame for planning,
financing, building, testing, and bringing on line the alternative
plant that must be built to replace it.

>"It can be said that in general a further operation of most of
>the Eastern European reactors would not be possible according to
>German standards," said Mr. Toepfer at the Winter Conference of
>the German Nuclear Forum in January, 1992. But although he calls
>the Eastern nuclear plants 'ticking time-bombs', he now wants to
>make it possible that these reactors can continue to "operate
>for a limited time."
       ^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is a prudent recognition that the 'cure' would be worse than
the disease.  Shutting down all the eastern nukes at this point
would be economic, political, and literal suicide.  Ever heard
of Russian Winters?  The Germans had first hand experience in WWII...

>"German politicians and German
>nuclear industry are double-tongued when they are stressing high
>safety standards at home, while making money with exports
>destined for unsafe reactors abroad," says Laing.

Or maybe, just maybe, they don't want to have a revolution on
their borders as thousands freeze to death and they are providing
the best possible SHORT TERM relief effort possible.

>Only because of the political, economic and technical assistance
>from Germany, countries like the CSFR, Bulgaria or Russia can
>continue operating their run-down reactors.

And continue to live through the coming winter ...  Look, go visit
the middle of the EurAsian continent in the middle of winter.  Do it
with poor worn out clothing.  Do it with no electricity to run the
plants that make heat, food, and clothing.  Then tell me that a 
planned transition to a safer energy plant is a bad thing, IF you live...
  
I think Germany deserves great praise from the world for their
humanitarian effort to hold the ex-Eastern Block people together 
through the coming dificult transions.

>Greenpeace therefore demands from the German government to stop
>any further export of nuclear fuel from Greifswald to Eastern
>Europe immediately. Instead, the government should work for an
>immediate shutdown of Eastern European reactors. 

Pardon me, but it is November now.  An 'immediate shutdown' means
that many people DIE.  Immediately.  This is a good thing?

>They should
>offer to assist Eastern European governments with the
>implementation of energy efficiency measures and the alternative
>energy supplies, such as gas and steam power plants.

All of which take time to create and impliment.  Like, say, 10 years
or so ...  I think Greenpeace needs to learn the phrase 'prudent
schedule'...

Sheesh ... I'm more used to working the other side of the street (the
anti-nuclear side...), but this posting was just too far out of line
to let go by without comment.  It must be pretty bad to get me to 
take the 'pro-nuke' side of things.  Most of the time about all I 
can manage is to be neutral on nuclear... 



-- 

E. Michael Smith  ems@apple.COM

'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has
 genius, power and magic in it.'  -  Goethe

I am not responsible nor is anyone else.  Everything is disclaimed.
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