Cultural factors in nuclear power program..

That nuclear power is a safe and viable energy source seems to gain the agreement of many. Chernobyl and Three Mile Island have been mentioned less and less as reasons for not going nuclear. So as Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the 65th anniversary is just a month away. At least that part is gaining acceptance. Even current President of the Malaysian Nature Society, that share the same abbreviation MNS with the Malaysian Nuclear Society, admitted that nuclear energy is a way to go. That he said after being briefed and learnt a bit more on the technology he began to see its merit.
The government decision to introduce nuclear power program was debated in the parliament yesterday. The argument against nuclear power this time took a different dimension. The question is can we, Malaysians, handle it since some of the even mundane projects ended up disastrously. Ignoring the success stories like Petronas Twin Towers, KL Tower, SMART Tunnel, Penang bridge, the collapsed stadium in Terengganu was mentioned as a case in point. That I believe, was a case of over generalizing an exception.
Where there is no will, there is no way...

Step ahead for nuclear power program...

With the 2021 announcement it can be said that part of the battle to convince the government on the need to act now for nuclear power program in Malaysia has been won - if we can call it a 'battle;' afterall who is at war?
It is now time to move ahead. Yes, a lot more news from around the world we want to share and pass on to each other. It is also comforting, especially so in the not so distant past. But now is time to move ahead. Perhaps sharing ideas on the next best action, brainstorming in the web as it were, could be efforts better spent.

Nuclear power for Malaysia..

The public want to participate, they want to be heard, and they responded. The Letters section of the New Straits Times, Monday, 10 May carries both the pros, cons, and the yes but with conditions opinions. This posting carries the response from the Malaysian Nuclear Society (click image to read).

The Never Ending Debate...

The announcement by Energy, Green Technology, and Water Minister that Malaysia is earnestly planning to have its first nuclear power plant operating in 2021 (see previous posting), as expected, initiates the usual response from those opposing the idea of having nuclear power plant in the country. This newsreport seems to be the starter.
Normally this type of response is the first that we see or read; as if it is programmed to automatically react, like reflect actions, to that kind of announcement.
Chernobyl has never been left out as an exemplary danger we would be facing. It is pictured as a certainty. That lessons have been learned and nuclear reactors are getting safer do not seem to make sense. That other countries have been operating tens of nuclear reactors safely seems to be conveniently forgotten.
Japan, the country that experienced first hand the effects of the bombs, not once, but twice, is not shying away from it. It is now 30 percent nuclear electricity. The Repbulic of Korea is 40 percent nuclear electricity. The world is 14 percent nuclear electricity. These facts are conveniently forgotten as well.
 

Nuclear power is green technology...

There has been nothing much to say other than yes we may, no we might not; hence the relative quiet and abandon of this site, you might say.
But the latest announcement by the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister that Malaysia will have its first nuclear power plant by 2021 yesterday is interesting. It came from a Green Technology Minister, a tacit recognition that nuclear power is green indeed, and the year is closer than what was orginally floated around, 2025.
Other details such as site, rated power (small, large), type (PWR, BWR, CANDU), and vendor have not yet been announced. Let's wait a bit more...
The news, however, made way to only two local newsprint media, Star Online and Business Times section of the New Strats Time. The news is also carried by a web-based World Nuclear News.

The Commonality of the 'Pros' and 'Cons'...

The debate on whether Malaysia should consider nuclear energy took place recently; not in the cyberworld or the electronic media, but in the conventional print media. The opposing views are there, represented by their respective presidents the Malaysian Nuclear Society and the Physicians for Peace and Social Responsibility projected their views on Is nuclear energy the answer? to Malaysia's energy mix.
But rather than emphasizing differences, the title of this writing suggests to look at the meeting points.
It was to one of the responses of the media and a follow-up to recent statements made by the PM on the need to introduce nuclear energy in the energy mix of Malaysia, and that cooperation with the Republic of Korea should be a welcome possibility.
It took place at the appropriate moment. The International Nuclear Conference 2009 INC'09 and the accompanying exhibition is to begin 29 June at the Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

Statement to Capitalize on

The position of nuclear power in the country seems to be bobbling up and down, from the point of vew of the public. But if there is one on the up side, this statement from the prime minister while in Jeju on green technologies should be capitalized on. Rarely that 'green' and 'nuclear' be taken together in positive sense.