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Tag: old
I’M SO OLD THAT….
SUPPORTING SOCIAL SECURITY
The Nuclear Conundrum
Courtesy of: Visual Capitalist
The nuclear sector today certainly has its immediate challenges. Costs had already been a long problem, but the incident at Fukushima complicated matters even further. The industry and regulators were forced to take a second look at its safety practices and plant designs, creating uncertainty for the sector. As of today, 2006 still remains a peak for global nuclear power generation in terms of total output, and it has steadily declined since then.
There is also another creeping issue for the industry that is raising eyebrows. According to The World Nuclear Report, there are 391 nuclear reactors in operation throughout the world. However, the median age of these reactors is now 28.8 years, due to the majority of power plants being built between 1970 and 1985.
The design specifications for most nuclear reactors envision an operating lifespan of 30 to 40 years. In the U.S. specifically, nuclear utilities are initially licensed for 40 years. Near the end of that initial timeframe, they can apply for an additional 20 years.
While there are many experts who believe that older reactors are not a problem, it is hard to imagine many families feeling safe living next to aging nuclear reactors. Furthermore, with recent evens, even more questions have surfaced about the wisdom of keeping aging reactors plugged into the grid. The Fukushima Daiichi units (1 to 4) were first commissioned between 1971 and 1974, and the license for the first unit had been extended for another 10 years in February 2011. This was just a month before the disaster took place.
Right now, most operators are doing what they can to extend the life of their reactors. However, at some point it won’t be enough.
This brings us to a challenging fork in the road: will we move forward with a fleet of aging reactors, or will we bite the bullet to build new ones? If we decommission them without replacement, how will that power supply be replaced?
Are You Guilty of Crimes Against the Young?
The New Land of Opportunity
“This city is great. It’s beautiful. It’s cheap. The climate is agreeable. And it’s becoming a haven for Internet savvy marketers.
“I think they’re coming partly because it’s a great place to live. And I think young people want to get away from the U.S., too. It’s just not the land of opportunity that it used to be.”
So sayeth our dinner companion last night. He was the second young man in the last 24 hours to make the case that Medellín is a “buy.”
“It just seems to be catching on with people who work on the Internet. I guess because it is such a great place to live. People are helpful and nice here. And everything is unbelievably cheap.”
We can back him up on both points: Our taxi driver went far out of his way to help us find our hotel. (We had the wrong name.) And after driving us around for a half an hour, he was delighted to take the equivalent of $8 for the fare.
Medellín – city of the future
Photo via turismoenmedellin.com
A Country for Old Men
Several readers have commented on the coming generational storm in the U.S., which was the theme in last week’s Diary. (You can catch up here, here, and here.)
“Billie Boy, I don’t like where your head is lately. Your writing depicts our debt situation as being caused by baby boomers when it is the Fed and the government who never listen or do what the public desires…”
Here’s another:
“You are beginning to sound like “Obuma” in his class warfare dialogue. I am one of those old people who is not benefiting from the greed and lack of morals evident on Wall Street and in particular in Washington, DC. Leave me out of it and do not blame all old people for the actions of the elites in DC and state governments…”
To clarify, we are not blaming innocent beneficiaries… or innocent victims. And we readily admit we couldn’t get a conviction for willful larceny. Most of the people involved stole unwittingly. They were just playing the piano; how could they know what was going on in the back room?
Continue reading “Are You Guilty of Crimes Against the Young?”
SSS TRYING TO SEND A TEXT
Hat tip Boston Bob
POST REFERENDUM SCOTLAND POLL
It appears the Scottish men talked a good game before the vote, but when it came down to it they pussied out and voted no. No wonder Scottish men wear skirts. The old fogies (55 years old and up) voted overwhelmingly against independence. They like their monthly welfare checks and care not for future generations. A generational war is coming. The old fogies are dying out and the young will prevail. It’s coming.
