tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post6693783882987186402..comments2024-03-28T09:22:36.967+13:00Comments on Offsetting Behaviour: What should we do?Eric Cramptonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-16513527339619814932011-07-07T09:28:02.809+12:002011-07-07T09:28:02.809+12:00Brisbane has a really good electric train service,...Brisbane has a really good electric train service, city has roughly same size and sprawl as Auckland.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-29585475371523975262011-03-26T16:12:23.518+13:002011-03-26T16:12:23.518+13:00@William: Either way, far far lower risk of "...@William: Either way, far far lower risk of "meltdown" outcomes.Eric Cramptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-18767095383865653292011-03-26T07:20:35.963+13:002011-03-26T07:20:35.963+13:00You write of the thorium reactor that it "can...You write of the thorium reactor that it "cannot melt down because their reaction is fuelled by a photon beam that, if turned off, stops the reaction." I think this is in error.<br /><br />The technical problem underlying "meltdown" failure modes in conventional reactors melting down isn't that we can't stop the fission reaction. (Fundamentally we can indeed stop it. You need to try fairly hard to arrange a chain reaction, and to stop it you only need a modest amount of messing around with the geometry of fuel, moderator, and dampers like Cd rods. Of course in practice some screwup like a fire in the control room can impair control, but such a screwup can impair the control of any industrial process, including a thorium reactor driven by a proton beam.) The problem is that we can't control spontaneous radioactive decay, and that a nontrivial fraction of the energy output caused by fission doesn't appear immediately when fission happens, but some time later, as unstable fission products decay spontaneously with a halflife of days or more.<br /><br />As best I can tell from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molten_salt_reactor, using thorium as fuel doesn't avoid this problem of delayed energy output in any fundamental way. Instead, the no-meltdowns idea seems to be that the chemistry of thorium makes it relatively practical to operate with thorium fuel in liquid form, and then the liquid form of the fuel makes it more practical to implement an option of venting the fuel from the ordinary compact containment system (which has various advantages for ordinary operation) into a specialized dispersed containment system (which has the advantage of enough surface area that passive cooling is practical).William Newmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14336821309402794016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-15113669355309702682011-03-25T21:19:55.072+13:002011-03-25T21:19:55.072+13:00Don't you think there may be a few attendees v...Don't you think there may be a few attendees visiting after the debate? They may be looking for some more info on the sticky topics. Some suggestions from the peanut gallery:<br />Thorium intro I came across in the mag a while ago: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/ff_new_nukes/<br /><br />Most likely out of date, seeing as the Chinese and Indians are both pursuing the tech now. (BTW India has massive Thorium reserves)<br /><br />There were a lot of Malthusian grumbles in the audience, maybe you know of a concise summary of the correlation between rising income and falling birth rates? My understanding is that female education rates are just about the most effective form of contraception about. Am I wrong on this?<br /><br />A little on the climategate issue that people were tiptoeing around:<br /><br />http://youtu.be/8BQpciw8suk<br /><br />But far closer to the topic you were trying drive home, not only is this not solvable by NZ alone, it may not even be up to the developed world:<br /><br />http://catallaxyfiles.com/2011/03/20/will-an-australian-carbon-tax-matter/<br /><br />I think the burden of proof lies with the coppicing trees man to explain himself elsewhere. I was immediately wondering how on earth we are going to plant, fertilize, irrigate, harvest and transport these to the deep ocean (and make sure they don't float off) whilst still achieving net carbon sequestration is a mystery to me.<br /><br />As for the Lincoln economist I am not sure what her major idea was? Industrial policy? Mandated monopolies to mimic the success of Fonterra?<br /><br />Anyway, I thought you and Ruth stood up well given the audience. Thanks again for an interesting debate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-86619706570126150382011-03-25T16:24:27.181+13:002011-03-25T16:24:27.181+13:00Went fine. Panel was mostly sensible. Mixed audien...Went fine. Panel was mostly sensible. Mixed audience. Will hold off on blogging it to see whether the video gets posted in the next few days.Eric Cramptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-13380699786944496922011-03-25T15:26:18.931+13:002011-03-25T15:26:18.931+13:00So how did it go? Was there a definitive outcome, ...So how did it go? Was there a definitive outcome, or did the two sides agree to disagree?Latsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-1972537441868316942011-03-24T23:39:28.507+13:002011-03-24T23:39:28.507+13:00You were going really well until the giving more m...You were going really well until the giving more money to Lincoln part ;-)Luishttp://apiolaza.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-59103272775865735832011-03-24T20:59:27.424+13:002011-03-24T20:59:27.424+13:00Wish I had known about your speak earlier dude, I ...Wish I had known about your speak earlier dude, I would have gone, especially for the frightening Kim Hill, and you of course, I would have left on Tuesday ,<br />to get there in time,<br />passing tolls, restrictions and civil fucking defence, and been in Lincoln to catch your address and then straight back to Christchurch home by Friday, only half a tank of petrol,peterquixotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15873112816453062068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-35947733571298279742011-03-24T18:25:48.060+13:002011-03-24T18:25:48.060+13:00Hope the opposition is traveling by public transpo...Hope the opposition is traveling by public transport?Vnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-50168399858073842462011-03-24T11:18:37.091+13:002011-03-24T11:18:37.091+13:00Don't think so. Lincoln's recording it, bu...Don't think so. Lincoln's recording it, but I don't think it'll be on air.Eric Cramptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-16718839587353432512011-03-24T11:08:06.057+13:002011-03-24T11:08:06.057+13:00Is this going to be on National Radio?Is this going to be on National Radio?Mark Hubbardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02541153163041831880noreply@blogger.com