Reflections about fossil fuels, nuclear power and carbon dioxide - JS

Personal communication

Reflections about fossil fuels, nuclear power and carbon dioxide John A. Shanahan Civil Engineer Founder of website: allaboutenergy.net May 30, 2022 Here are some thoughts after a career in nuclear power (1970 - 1995) in the USA and Switzerland. Since 1996, he has dedicated his time to public education for practical energy solutions for the world in the near term (a couple of hundred years) and the long term (thousands of years). All this is on allaboutenergy.net. There are 2,800 articles, reports, presentations, eBooks, and videos for public education. There are over 1,600 contributing authors, websites, and publications. This website presents different points of view.

Here are key thoughts from 30 years of research: 1) Fossil fuels created the marvelous modern world over the last 200 years. This improved standard of living based on plentiful, reliable energy must continue for the long term. It must not be a flash in the pan and then back to the way of life 500 years ago with slavery and animal power as the main sources for doing work.

2) Carbon dioxide produced from use of fossil fuels is the molecule of life. It does respond to infrared radiation emitted by the land and oceans. But this response can not cause catastrophic global warming, catastrophic ocean rise, catastrophic droughts, etc.

3) These alarms are generated by organizations and individuals determined to make the free world go without fossil fuels and nuclear power. We would lose our wonderful standard of living. The rest, the majority of the world, would suffer, starve, and die off in the largest human catastrophe ever. These anti-fossil fuels, anti-nuclear power, catastrophic man-made global warming alarmists are the world’s worst enemies.

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4) Fossil fuels can be used as long as they are economically available.

5) Fission nuclear power for electricity, process heat, and manufacturing synthetic liquid and gaseous fuels should be developed quickly and used as widely as possible.

6) Synthetic liquid and gaseous fuels would be designed to work with the existing fossil fuel infrastructure and engine technology as much as possible. Simplest is best.

7) Electrified transportation with overhead wire or third rail is outstanding. In Italy people travel from Milan to Naples at 300 km/hr most of the way on electric powered InterCity trains. Electrified public transportation in European cities is very good. Japan and China have outstanding electrified train systems. Where distances between cities are much greater than in Europe, Japan, and certain cities in China, fully electrified transportation is too expensive. Diesel-electro motive power is the best, like in Canada and the USA. High speed is not necessary for hauling large volumes of freight.

8) Electrified transportation using batteries is an environmental nightmare. There are many other problems with electric vehicles, their batteries, recharging stations, and disposal/recycling of millions of large car batteries every year.

9) Fusion technology has a long way to go, if ever, before large scale commercial applications. A hard look needs to be given to verify that the hydrogen isotope fuel fusion needs is available for very long term use worldwide.

10) Uranium and thorium fuels for fission technology are available for as long as humans will live on this planet.

11) We have been given a pristine environment. We must respect it and maintain it like we want our own home to be.

12) We have been given wonderful and beautiful biodiversity of plants, animals, birds, fish, and other creatures. We must not wantonly destroy them. We must protect their habitats.

We should avoid making serious wrong decisions about energy for everyone.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Comment: William Happer, physicist, agrees with John Shanahan.

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