Thursday, June 24, 2010

Uranium Mining in VA....Setting up an Environmental Disaster in VA


We need a permanent ban on uranium mining in VA..

6 comments:

Cargosquid said...

So, we won't mine uranium or coal. We won't drill for gas or oil. We can't cut down forests, disrupt views, or disturb animals and people for wind mills. Solar power cells are energy intensive to make for little return. We would have to import uranium for nuclear power. Same with lithium for batteries. More super tankers for oil and gas.

So, what do you propose we do to meet the increasing energy needs of America in the coming years. Apparently you don't mind being dependent upon other countries for uranium like we are for oil.

Seriously, all I ever hear or read is "Ban such and such!" So what is the solution?

Star Womanspirit said...

I'm sorry....I just discovered that my first comment did not get online.....so I'll try to get to this over the weekend.....good question and I think there are much healthier alternatives.....

Star Womanspirit said...

First off Cargo Squid I'm SICK of my tax dollars being used to promote old, polluting technologies that benefit a few rich cats by increasing their profits with public subsidies. Our taxes should be used to research and assist emerging new technologies that free us and protect our habitat. Do you really object to this principle? The "push" for nuclear is based on a campaign contributor of Obama's....These nuclear advocates REFUSED to invest if they were on the hook for the damages so they are vying for the new sweetheart deal....where they will get the profits and the taxpayer will cover the damages.....No one said to outlaw coal mining etc....just don't put the taxpayer on the hook for the clean up....This push for uranium in VA will benefit a few with HUGE profits and the taxpayer is on the hook for the damages....I say NOT...I also don't think that making a few fat cats rich is worth destroying Virginia's environment for millions (if not billions) of years. Remember there is no clean up for uranium contamination of our water and air.

Cargosquid said...

Since no feasible alternatives are on the horizon, how do you propose to prevent us from having to buy uranium, lithium, etc from overseas, if we can't mine it here? Do we want the equivalent of oil tankers bringing uranium to our shores? According to the above, all of it is just to make a "few fatcats" wealthy. How about the smaller investors or those that depend upon cheaper energy? Of course, any costs will be passed on to you. Since Obama wants to bankrupt the coal industry, Cap and Trade will raise energy costs for no good reasons, shutting down drilling in the Gulf will devastate that economy, and we can drill on land, what do you propose? What alternatives are there that are as portable and as efficient as hydrocarbon? Hydrogen is not nor is it easily transportable. Wind won't power a car. Electric cars need heavy metals and are powered by coal/oil. Wind farms and solar need oil/coal back up power plants. Bio fuels use up food or use up arable land.
Yes, its all very well to say that we just need to throw money at it. Well, no. We don't. Many companies are trying to build feasible alternatives and are finding that the technology is not ready. Its going to be a long road to any other energy source.

Star Womanspirit said...

There are many feasible alternatives on the horizon and governments around the world are funding the new technology...

Our gov is continuing to funnel tax payer dollars into the old technologies which should come as no surprise...our gov appears to be owned by the financial elites and it sells us out in all arenas not just banking bail outs.

The financial elites don't want us to have the new technologies b/c then we could get off the grid and end up saving a lot of money and raising our quality of life with these new technologies. The greedy pigs want to keep on taking from us no matter what the cost to us or the planet.

Sorry but I'm not drinking the kool aid on this one and the corporate media will continue to sell as much kool aid as folks will consume.

Cargosquid said...

Spain tried funding 'green' projects. They state that it was an utter, bankrupting failure. Germany is not subsidizing any more windmills. England is paying windmill companies to NOT generate power.

Solar cell prices are coming down but have a long way to go.

Battery powered cars are impracticable due to recharge times and the heavy metals involved in battery construction. The range of electric cars is poor.

Biofuel harvesting kills biodiversity and raise food prices.

What alternatives are being finance by other countries. China is investing in coal and oil at increasing rates. Brazil, a biofuel power, is investing in oil. Europe is finding out that carbon trading is useless and that they need increasing amounts of gas and oil from Russia.

Who is left? There are no other feasible technologies. There MAY be future technology that gives us clean energy, but the existing alternatives also have problems.

And then there's nukes....but, I know your opinion on that.