I’d call this a more “healthy” relationship with radiation
May 19th, 2008
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“Nuclear waste” is made up primarily of material which is not all that long lived. Indeed, the shorter the halflife of a material, the more radioactive it is. So in many cases, the best way to deal with material is just to sit on it for a few years or even a few decades and let it decay away. In most places people would be afraid of living near this kind of material, even if it’s in the form of a chemically stable, high density material.
In the Netherlands, one interim storage facility is actually built as a work of art. Over time, the paint scheme will be changed and become less and less bright to indicate the lower radioactvity. The material stored will be kept on site for a century, until it is nice and “cool.” I like the idea. It shows pride, as opposed to shame for the achievements of environmentally friendly and plentiful energy. It’s emblazoned with the physics formulas behind the reactions are based.
Thanks to DV82XL for finding this.
This entry was posted on Monday, May 19th, 2008 at 8:06 pm and is filed under Culture, Enviornment, Good Science, Nuclear. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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May 19th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
I love it because it is an effort to actively combat Radiation Hysteria. The nuclear waste issue has been a millstone around the neck of an industry that has provided fodder for the antiradiation activists. This structure rubs the facts right into their faces, and makes them look ridiculous to boot.
Commonsense – what you’d expect from a country where pot is legal.
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May 19th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Well, it’s not really my taste in art. I think I’d go for a more classical sculpture and some less loud colours. However, the fact that they’re even trying is definitely a move in the right direction. Overall I like the idea, even if not this implementation.
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May 19th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
DV82XL said:
It’s lobby groups – The tobacco and alcohol industries have their lobby groups to stop people from smoking pot (it’s their competition, after all). So they pay these “do-gooders” to protest against governments to keep it banned (almost) worldwide.
The coal industry has their lobby group to make sure they don’t go out of business, so they pay people to be anti-nuclear nutbags to keep the fear running in peoples heads.
It’s a freakin’ global conspiracy i tells ya!
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May 19th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Neutrino said:
I don’t agree. To me it says ‘just another industry’ while at the same time saying ‘we have nothing to hide.’
At any rate, the colors will mellow out as the radiation decays away, so it won’t be as loud in the future.
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May 20th, 2008 at 12:40 am
Shouldn’t it be glowing GREEN due to all the RADIOACTIVE waste!?
Notice that there are NO trees growing next to it due to all the IONIZING RADIATION!!
Also this is a great target for TERRORISTS, it’s painted orange, they can’t miss it! The building is PROBABLY safe from Terrorists, but have they have NOT tested flying a fully loaded 747 into it from directly above at top speed, until they do, can we really take that chance that the Radiation MIGHT leak out of it? BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY! Imagine if our CHILDREN were exposed to this radiation?? It’s not fair to expose them to this POSSIBLE RISK.
(Hehe, just writing a short satire. Sorry, I’m in a really sarcastic mood. Cool idea!)
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May 20th, 2008 at 12:51 am
Andrew said:
Didn’t we go over this already?
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May 20th, 2008 at 1:04 am
It is a nice balance between saying that it’s just another industrial building that doesn’t pose any threat or any special significance versus at the same time giving a message that is plain and clear that nothing is being hidden.
I’d go for a color other than orange, just because I don’t like that color of orange, but it’ll change anyway so who cares. That’s just a matter of taste anyway.
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May 20th, 2008 at 1:20 am
drbuzz0 said:
Yup, I’m guessing you didn’t read the rest of my post, I don’t blame you it was pretty inane!
Don’t worry, I wasn’t being serious.
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May 20th, 2008 at 1:42 am
Andrew said:
I’m now taking bets on how many posts it will be before an ecotard comes in screaming something similar to your post, but being totally serious.
I say 20…
The winner gets a virtual cardboard cookie!
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May 20th, 2008 at 9:14 am
I just fell out my chair when I saw this. It looks like the facility in Vlissingen Netherlands last November. You may be interested the facility in Vlissingen is surrounded by wind powere generators.
Off to one side of the plant is a dual fuel (coal/gas) power plant. Next to that is a nuclear powerplant.
If your interested I’ll send you photos (the quality is not so great though).
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May 20th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Additional comment:
This thing is about 10 km from the city of Vlissingen in a large harbor/industrial area. The dutch seem to like to concentrate their industries in these zoned areas. You can see the glow in sky from the lights ofBrussels at night.
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