Comments on: The Politics of Security and the Environment http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/28/the-politics-of-security-and-the-environment/ Patriotism that loves our country, our land, and our planet Wed, 23 May 2012 01:08:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Rod Adams http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/08/28/the-politics-of-security-and-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-5758 Rod Adams Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:09:10 +0000 http://redgreenandblue.org/?p=683#comment-5758 I could not agree more. Though I have been concerned about the environment my whole life, one of my primary motivations for working so hard to share my understanding of nuclear power is because of the security implications of a world where energy is scarce. it is easier to see the correlations when one remembers that energy per unit time in whatever units of each you want to use (say, barrels of oil per day) is mathematically equal to a unit of POWER. A person or a nation that is consuming a lot of energy is using power to perform actions that would not be possible without using that power. Sure, it is possible to drive a smaller car with a less powerful engine and still move from place to place, but the person in a small car has less POWER at his disposal than the person in a large SUV. For some people, that feeling of sitting higher and being surrounded by a more secure (at least in perception) environment is worth the cost that they have to pay for the power. National power also require steady and rapid energy expenditures, whether it is to move lots of good around or to move tanks, airplanes and ships into position for weapons delivery - if needed. Of course the environment plays a role - many power systems can be choked in the wrong environmental conditions. The most important power system of all, the human body, is particularly vulnerable to losing its water supply. Good post - thought inspiring. I could not agree more. Though I have been concerned about the environment my whole life, one of my primary motivations for working so hard to share my understanding of nuclear power is because of the security implications of a world where energy is scarce.

it is easier to see the correlations when one remembers that energy per unit time in whatever units of each you want to use (say, barrels of oil per day) is mathematically equal to a unit of POWER.

A person or a nation that is consuming a lot of energy is using power to perform actions that would not be possible without using that power. Sure, it is possible to drive a smaller car with a less powerful engine and still move from place to place, but the person in a small car has less POWER at his disposal than the person in a large SUV. For some people, that feeling of sitting higher and being surrounded by a more secure (at least in perception) environment is worth the cost that they have to pay for the power.

National power also require steady and rapid energy expenditures, whether it is to move lots of good around or to move tanks, airplanes and ships into position for weapons delivery – if needed.

Of course the environment plays a role – many power systems can be choked in the wrong environmental conditions. The most important power system of all, the human body, is particularly vulnerable to losing its water supply.

Good post – thought inspiring.

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