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What's wrong with the EDF model. No power outages. Available surplus capacity. Strong ethos of public service. Well paid workforce. Well run compnay, technically speaking. And the cheapest power around.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Thu May 25th, 2006 at 06:07:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]
On the theme of secrecy and trust - what came out: SuperPhénix scandals, la Hague scandals (yet another reported just two days ago), Chernobyl fallout blackout, military connection, EPR. Did everything come out?

On the theme of reliability - while it is often argued in nuclear's favour that other countries import from France, this can be turned around: the "EDF model" is no more closed than the "Anglo-Saxon model" when applied either to the USA or the UK. The French nukes represent an overcapacity most of the time, which can be get rid off via Spain and Italy, while at other times, like summer drought, the home consumption is still ensured, which would have been a shortage in a closed system.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Thu May 25th, 2006 at 10:17:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
What SuperPhénix scandals? The reactor did not function as well as it should have, but that's technology issue, not a secrecy one, AFAIK. Then it was killed by a political decision when it was finally working.

What la Hague scandals? And don't give me Greenpeace or Sortir du Nucléaire sources, they are hardly credible. They cannot get over the fact that nuclear is genuinely popular in France and their resort to the worst kinds of stunts and spin and scaremongering with little regard to truth. The latest story about an airliner striking the EPR is especially irresponsible, as it contributes to the general state of fear which we otherwise criticise here so forcefully. They are responsible for enabling Sarkosy and consorts when they play with fears like this, especially when it's false.

Chernobyl fallout. Yes, that was stupid, especially as the underlying issue (the fallout) was trivial in France

Military connection? What do you have in mind?

EPR? What do you have in mind ?

I don't understand you last sentence.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Thu May 25th, 2006 at 02:45:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
And don't give me Greenpeace or Sortir du Nucléaire sources, they are hardly credible.

I am troubled by this wholesale dismissal of sources.  this kind of reminds me of the young US Marine interviewed on his way to Iraq...  "Aren't you troubled to be going over there to fight a war that was based on lies?" said the reporter.  "After all, we now know there were no WMD, and the Iraqis had nothing to do with 9/11."  The young grunt shrugged dismissively:  "That's just what the liberals say.  I don't pay any attention to their bullshit."  (wtte).

if we decide that everything Greenpeace or SdN publishes is de facto untrustworthy, then we eliminate what is often the first or only reportage of investigative journalism and/or citizen complaint.  whom should we regard as trustworthy?  official government bulletins?  surely -- despite the relative excellence of the French bureaucracy and technocracy -- alert citizens should always keep an ear open to dissenting and oppositional voices.  even the French are not governed by angels :-)

The difference between theory and practise in practise ...

by DeAnander (de_at_daclarke_dot_org) on Thu May 25th, 2006 at 03:59:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I know. It is dismaying, but that's how I see it. I guess I'm with Migeru in his dialogue with DoDo on the Castor transports (see the other thread...)

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Thu May 25th, 2006 at 07:09:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Oh, no, not that again!

tens of millions of people stand to see their lives ruined because the bureaucrats at the ECB don't understand introductory economics -- Dean Baker
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu May 25th, 2006 at 07:13:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"I feel like... I feel like... Sing-mmmphghhh!"

The difference between theory and practise in practise ...
by DeAnander (de_at_daclarke_dot_org) on Thu May 25th, 2006 at 09:22:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Uh, em, oh, where to begin... No, I best save most of my replies for the next diary, but this is too funny to let up:

The latest story about an airliner striking the EPR is especially irresponsible

You mean releasing the nuclear industry's own evaluation on an airliner striking a planned but unnecessary new nuclear plant is irresponsible? Not making that confidential? You have a strange concept of responsible.

the underlying issue (the fallout) was trivial in France

As the scandal is that there weren't even measurements, that's a tall claim.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Fri May 26th, 2006 at 01:11:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I find it depressing that you promote a terrorist attack with an airplane as something we should worry about today. It's scaremongering, and it plays to the politics of, well, you know.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Fri May 26th, 2006 at 02:41:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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