May 4, 2012
By Mary Wentworth (about the author)
Stopping global warming is the signature issue of our time. If we do not reverse global warming, nothing else will matter. Not bringing the Wall Street crooks to justice or closing down the corrupt banks or stopping our government from spying on us.
A vital step is closing down our nukes. Nuclear power is not a legitimate alternative to the burning of fossil fuels because it is far more dangerous albeit in a distinctly different way. The risk of further contamination of our earth on which we depend for our survival cannot be tolerated.
In spite of the risks, powerful corporate executives are looking to use profitable nuclear plants to address problems associated with stopping global warming.
Even if CEOs refuse to do so, we have to recognize this stark fact: nuclear radiation knows no boundaries. It is incumbent on us to join other countries in ending nuclear power for it is immoral that by keeping ours running we would be putting at risk countless others around the world.
The disaster in Japan reminds us again of how dangerous this form of energy is. A molten mass of radioactive material lies at the bottom of the three reactors that experienced meltdowns shortly after the earthquake and tsunami hit northern Japan on March 11, 2011.
Structural remains of the containment vessels serve the short-term purpose of preventing radiation from leaking out into the atmosphere and contaminating not only Japan, but also much of the world. A second earthquake, predicted by seismologists to take place within the immediate future, has the potential to bring those structures tumbling down.
A hundred thousand Japanese have already been relocated within the country. There are recent reports that during negotiations over ownership of the Kuril Islands, Japanese officials told their Russian counterparts that due to Fukushima they are looking at evacuating roughly forty million people to one or more sites overseas. (See HYPERLINK “click here“ click here)
Continued use of nuclear energy is being seen as part of a mix of alternatives to fossil fuels. A recent rebroadcast of a PBS program (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/nuclear-aftershocks/) featured several interviews with energy experts who proclaimed that our future energy needs couldn’t possibly be met without nuclear power. For this reason plans are being made to replace the ones that will be phased out.
Since there was no indication to the contrary, one can assume that this calculation about future energy needs was based on a continuation of the present way of life in industrialized countries. In other words, as economic growth, a core requirement of the capitalist system, continues, even anemically, additional power will be needed for new factories, office buildings, shopping centers, businesses, homes, schools, sports arenas, and transportation of all kinds as well as for waging war.
Even James Hansen, the premiere climate change expert, fears that closing down nukes would bring about a greater reliance on coal, increasing global warming. It’s either/or. But is it, really? The Entergy-owned Indian Point reactor on Long Island, for example, provides a quarter of the electricity used by New York City (click here). Conservation alone could easily eliminate the need for this plant.
Why not begin now to work toward making our energy-consumption commensurate with the energy that we can produce from alternative sources? Those who have run the capitalist system for the last hundred years have extravagantly and exploitively ravaged the planet’s resources for their personal gain. It has to stop.
![Hempcrete, Made From Hemp, Used To Build Houses
Imagine you had a building material that was energy-efficient, non-toxic and resistant to mold, insects and fire. The material may even have a higher R-value, or thermal resistance, than concrete, a claim that is still being investigated. The only problem? The base of the Hempcrete creation is hemp, which comes from the cannabis sativa plant — the same one that produces marijuana, which is a federally banned substance. Because of this, industrial hemp production is illegal in the United States.
Still, the Hempcrete mixture of hemp, lime and water is being used to some extent for construction jobs across America. One of the companies working with Hempcrete is Hemp Technologies, a construction company based in North Carolina that is adamant about the advantages of building using Hempcrete. They’ve built homes out of hemp in Hawaii, Texas, Idaho and North Carolina, where they are currently working on a project known as “NauHaus.”
Throughout Europe, the use of hemp for construction purposes has spread across many countries. “We got started about three years ago and I was looking for sustainable building products, Hemp Technologies co-founder David Madera told GOOD Design. [Co-founder Greg Flavall] was in Europe, found Hempcrete and we basically did a tour of Europe and looked at everything that they had done in the U.K., France, Belgium, and Switzerland. We did our first seminar in 2009, and it was the most important thing that helped promote it.”
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