Re: [cdn-nucl-l] Pembroke Observer: Feds making plans for isotopesupply

[Randal Leavitt <randal.leavitt@rogers.com>]

Stewart Peterson wrote:
> Get to young people. Get online, with a lot of intuitive 
> information--today's young people are very tech-savvy. Use diagrams, 
> animations, and video--appropriately--to complement the message, which 
> must use the bells and whistles, not the other way around. Cut down on 
> jargon and math. Make sound bites. Figure out what people think now, 
> what you need to do to get them to real understanding, and tell a 
> story that creates enough constructive cognitive dissonance that 
> people draw the conclusion we want on their own; this of course 
> makes their opinion much stronger than just telling them the right 
> answer. Learn power structure analysis, sociology, and organizing. 
> Raise some hell!
I think the most important factor influencing public opinion is the 
safety record of the nuclear industry.  If the industry continues to 
accumulate years of operation without accidents, then public opinion 
will swing over to favour nuclear power.  If there are more serious 
accidents then one can discuss the matter till dawn and it won't do any 
good - people will reject this technology.  Safety is the core issue.

The problem with safety is that it is boring.  Watching a plant where 
nothing is happening to make sure nothing happens just drives workers 
crazy.  The solution for this problem is automation - put more sensors 
in nuclear plants and let the computers watch for problems.  The nuclear 
industry has been very resistant toward such new technology.  This has 
got to change.

So, to change public opinion we need a long period of safety.  To do the 
boring work needed to accumulate this safety data we need automation.  
To introduce that automation the management has to wake up and lead.

I have been encouraged by what I have read about "Smart CANDU".  It 
seems that AECL is making some attempts to use automation aggressively 
for plant operations.  I think this is the right approach.

-- 
Randal Leavitt - another Ubuntu user
http://positiveenergy.blogspot.com/
http://www.simpy.com/user/randalleavitt/links
http://tinyurl.com/hgvmg