Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Booms, Busts, and Recoveries -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: shades who wrote (67480)	8/14/2005 4:36:54 PM
From: energyplay	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74559

US promoting nuke plants all over the world - Also known as the "Atoms for Peace" program >>>>> What were they thinking ? <<<<<< Pretty simple. They thought that nuclear electricity would be very cheap - maybe "too cheap to meter". If not in the initial nuke plants, then the next generation of plants. Cheap electricity was supposed to raise living standards and reduce poverty. It was also supposed to reduce the drive toward a war over oil & coal resources, by reducing ( the thought in the 1950s was toward eleiminating) their use. Memeories of Japan going to war to insure access to Indonesian oii, and the fights over coal in the German Rurh region were very fresh. The nuke plants and the extensive training provided were for the operation of the plants with local personel, and the training of physicists and nuclear engineers who could help build and operate the next generation of plants, and expand nuclear power in each country. This worked to some degree in Japan. Note this is a different model than airlines, where local airlines in many countires were heavily staffed with pilots from the US and Great Britian. To train the high level independent thinkers who would create a nuclear industry and educate others, instead of just button pushers, there was and extensive transfer of knownledge about nuclear power and all aspects of nuclar energy, short of the actual weapon blueprints and design information. Include in this transfer was the "Los Alamos Primer" (now declassified) with much of the key information on weapons design. On Amazon - amazon.com So that's pretty much the answer - the US thought the spread of nuclear power would help produce prosperity and peace. It may have helped some countries. Japan seems to have benefited from nuclear electricity, and possibly India. A nice summary from 50 years later.... armscontrol.org