கதிரியக்கக் கழிவு காட்டும் அழிவு

2011-03-26


There are arguments for and against nuclear power generation. But there are no differing opinions on nuclear wastes. Everybody agrees that nobody (no country) has any idea how to dispose the nuclear waste safely and securely for 100,000 years it is supposed to take to become safe 'radioactive' material.

The Electricity company I work for is planning to build 4 new nuclear reactors in UK (as part of nuclear power revival in UK and to meet the cut in carbon emission targets of UK to counter the global warming). Just last week (after Japan's disaster) I attended an internal (company's) 'Nuclear Educational Session' in which also, the presenter confirmed that as of now no country knows how to dispose nuclear waste safely and everybody is hoping that we would find a way in the future.

It is like a car with out brakes. We are all jumping excitedly into it and driving crazy at top speed!

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

On average species last for 2 million years. As a species 'homo' has been around that time and may be we are on the path of our extinction. Our strength (intelligence) has turned to become our weakness. By comparison 'dumb' crocodiles and turtles have been around 300 million years and may survive us.

“The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.”
        - Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes (American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882)

Even if we stop all the nuclear reactors all over the world today, we already have around 250,000 tons of nuclear wastes to safe guard (24 hours, 365 days, with current method, in cooled water tanks) against natural and man made failures/intrusions and disasters for next 100,000 years. 100,000 years is the theoretical limit calculated by European scientists whereas in USA it is 1,000,000 years.

Just yesterday I watched this movie on the net about deep underground (500 meters) storage in hard bedrock being tunneled in Finland to store nuclear wastes which will require no maintenance.

http://www.intoeternitythemovie.com/

Onkalo – the world’s first permanent nuclear waste repository

Onkalo is a Finnish word for hiding place. It is situated at Olkiluoto in Finland - approx. 300 km northwest of Helsinki and it's the world's first attempt at a permanent repository. It is a huge system of underground tunnels hewn out of solid bedrock. Work on the concept behind the facility commenced in 1970s and the repository is expected to be backfilled and decommissioned in the 2100s – more than a century from now. No person working on the facility today will live to see it completed. The Finnish and Swedish Nuclear Authorities are collaborating on the project, and Sweden is planning a similar facility, but has not begun the actual construction of it. (from the above web site)

The documentary can be downloaded from here:

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/into-eternity/

As usual I am not fond of blaming individuals and/or MNCs or Govts alone. Even though we claim (and delude ourselves) that we want to be free citizens, we actually (in practice) want to be ruled by a benevolent / strong / charming hero of fairy tales. Being free is possible only with being responsible. Being free is hard work - high energy state. Being ruled is easy - low energy state. Current model of life/economy.. is materially high energy and mentally low energy state.

"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid."

- Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855)

சுமையான சிந்தனை விடுதலையிலிருந்து தப்பிக்க‌ மக்கள் பேச்சு சுதந்திரத்தைக் கோருகிறார்கள்.

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”
    - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

“We veneer civilization by doing unkind things in a kind way”
    - George Bernard Shaw quotes (Irish literary Critic, Playwright and Essayist. 1925 Nobel Prize for Literature, 1856-1950)

We delude ourselves (our stupidity) with 'progress' mask.

Individually we may be brilliant, selfless - Buddha, Einstein, Christ, Mohammad, Krishna, Gandhi.... but collectively whether we are intelligent, maturing, learning from our mistakes... is questionable and debatable. And unless we make progress collectively, does individual achievements matter? But history repeats which proves we are remaining same in essence.

We have to gradually switch to mentally high energy and materially low energy life view/style/living. Today we don't sing but we listen to singing (CDs, MP3 players...); we don't dance but we watch others dancing; majority don't play but watch others playing (cricket, football...); we don't play instruments, large majority don't grow food, don't live with animals (dogs, cats, cattle...); already we are not having enough time to bring up children (we have of become financiers - bank of dad and mum - rather than parents); we socialize less and watch more TV..... the list goes on and on....materially rich/high/active but mentally poor/low/passive... We are quantitatively more (7 billions) but  (and because of that) our lives are qualitatively poor.

"Earth has enough for everybody's need but not for everyone's greed"
      - M.K.Gandhi

The above is true materially but not true mentally. It is possible to have mentally rich life with materially less things. Probably that is only way.

Are we ready to be active mentally more (free to think)? Otherwise we will only be radio-wave-activated (remote controlled).

Let us start making small changes now. Use car less. Use less energy. Travel less. Engage with immediate neighbours more. It may not work out from day one. You will be the odd (wo)man out. Many times we will look like an idiot. But do we value the freedom to think? Don't mistake me as preaching. All these applies to me as well and I am telling these to myself mainly. Of course, a few things I am practicing (otherwise I am not eligible to say these) but there are more things to put into practice and continue to practise.

This cannot be brought about by rules and laws. This is a cultural change and can only be done by common people like us. Rules, laws and systems can free us as well as enslave us depending on how alert we are. I am not an anarchist. Govt, rules, laws, police, justice, education systems... all are required but both too little or too much of them are bad.

 
Whatever we consider as the other side is also human nature. So it is not 'us' against 'them'. It is one human nature trying to balance the other human nature. Such an attitude will take the thorn out of the flower/fruit. 

"The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts".  - Charles Darwin
நம்முடைய சிந்தனைகளை நாம் கட்டுப்படுத்தியாக வேண்டும் என்று புரிந்து கொள்ளும் நிலை தான் நம் பண்பின் உச்சக் கட்ட வளர்ச்சிப் படியாகும்.

"... As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the World, as in being able to remake ourselves. We must become the change we wish to see in the world...”.  - M.K.Gandhi

மனிதரின் வலிமை, பெருமை புற உலகை மாற்றி அமைப்பதில் இல்லை. நம்மை நாமே மாற்றிக் கொள்வதில் தான் உள்ளது. நாம் புற உலகில் காண விரும்பும் மாற்றத்தை நாம் நமக்குள் அடைய வேண்டும்.

இப்படிச் சொல்வதன் பொருள் தனியாக உட்கார்ந்து தியானம் செய்து கொண்டு ஒதுங்கி வாழ்வது போதும் என்பதன்று. நம் சிந்தனை அடிப்படையில் மாறாமல் செய்யப் படும் செயல் எதிர்பார்க்கும் பயனைத் தராது என்பதே சரியான பொருள் ஆகும்.

“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

      - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)