[Armageddon]

You're right, we should. It could alleviate Alberta's dependence on oil, gas, and coal, though I have to wonder, wouldn't we have to have rivers for reactors? <br /> Also, have you heard of graphite balls with uranium embedded into it? I read it in TIME a year or so ago, and it looked like really fascinating, safe technology. I'd like to know if I'm just talking bullocks though, lol.<br /> Auf Wiedersehen

[Dr Caleb]

[QUOTE BY= Armageddon] You're right, we should. It could alleviate Alberta's dependence on oil, gas, and coal, though I have to wonder, wouldn't we have to have rivers for reactors? <br /> <br /> Also, have you heard of graphite balls with uranium embedded into it? I read it in TIME a year or so ago, and it looked like really fascinating, safe technology. I'd like to know if I'm just talking bullocks though, lol.<br /> Auf Wiedersehen[/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> Alberta doesn't have the hydro power that BC or Quebec does, so we have to rely on Natural gas and coal fired plants for electricity. Nuclear would be safer, and we have lots of rivers and lakes.<br /> <br /> Graphite balls with uranium embedded are called 'pebble bed' reactors, so it's exactally what we're taliking about here. Very safe!<br />

[Kory Yamashita]

Doc, contrary to popular belief, BC is actually a net importer of electricity now. The provincial government has responded with a plan to create a whole bunch (hundreds?) of small-scale hydro plants in an environmentally sound fashion. Rather than damming a river to create a large reservoir with a significant vertical drop to power the turbines, these small-scale operations will re-route a portion of water from mountain-side creeks through turbines, and then return the water to the creek. While this will cause us to lose the added benefit of having energy "stored" in the reservoir behind the dam, it is environmentally sound (or so the project's proponents say).<br /> <br /> Some criticism has come from white-water kayakers, as the creeks that are best for small-scale hydro projects tend to be the ones preferred by these extreme athletes.<br /> <br /> Anyways, I just thought I'd throw this out here to address the "why doesn't Canada have more nuclear reactors?" question. I guess the answer is that there are viable alternatives that use less politically volatile technology - at least in BC.

[Dr Caleb]

[QUOTE BY= Kory Yamashita] Doc, contrary to popular belief, BC is actually a net importer of electricity now. <br /> <br /> Some criticism has come from white-water kayakers, as the creeks that are best for small-scale hydro projects tend to be the ones preferred by these extreme athletes.<br /> <br /> I guess the answer is that there are viable alternatives that use less politically volatile technology - at least in BC.[/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> I didn't realize that BC imported electricity now. I guess that's why my power bill keeps increasing <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/frown.gif' alt='Frown'><br /> <br /> I guess, like most people, Kayakers are going to have to suck it up a little. If we want a cleaner world, we're all going to have to give up something, whether it's our fossil fuel driven lifestyle or a piece of our environment. If the kayakers want a little better air quality in the lower mainland, then some hydro dams must be built (or reactors in Alberta).<br /> <br /> Once they see that our destruction of the environment is not sustainable, I hope they'll agree to give up some of their rivers for the greater good.<br />

[Armageddon]

[QUOTE BY= Dr Caleb]<br /> <br /> I didn't realize that BC imported electricity now. I guess that's why my power bill keeps increasing <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/frown.gif' alt='Frown'><br /> <br /> I guess, like most people, Kayakers are going to have to suck it up a little. If we want a cleaner world, we're all going to have to give up something, whether it's our fossil fuel driven lifestyle or a piece of our environment. If the kayakers want a little better air quality in the lower mainland, then some hydro dams must be built (or reactors in Alberta).<br /> <br /> Once they see that our destruction of the environment is not sustainable, I hope they'll agree to give up some of their rivers for the greater good.<br /> [/QUOTE]<br /> So wait, you guys aren't building more dams because of a few KAYAKERS? This is ridiculous. Isn't there a way to build artificial rivers, that run off from the white-rivers? That way, the kayakers keep their rivers, and you guys get your dams.