Nuclear Power – alternative energy solution under fire by Tony Green

Nuclear power plant

Prior to the problems with the Fukushima nuclear reactor in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami nuclear power had gained traction as a whole. The expansion of nuclear power as a renewable source of power has been included in the Obama administration’s energy plan. Recently inroads had been made in commissioning nuclear power plants of come on line by the middle of the next decade.

According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) 104 commercial nuclear power reactors (65 nuclear power plants) in 31 states are currently in operation. These plants supply more nuclear capacity than any nation on earth accounting for 20% of our country’s total power output.

Yet in light of the negative publicity which has been generated calling to curtail our nations plans to expand the use of nuclear power due to concerns about radiation exposure there are some points I feel Americans as a whole are overlooking.

Case in point, with the recent tsunami in Japan the near meltdown has galvanized the anti-nuclear community. I was hoping people had forgiven the nuclear industry in the 30 years since Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents.   Bear in mind, the reason for the leak at the Fukashima plant was not a procedure violation or a mechanical failure following by operator confusion of his plants indications which lead to less than optimal response. In short, the reactor breach resulted from an earth quake of unprecedented magnitude, i.e. an act of nature or Force de Majore.

Here’s a thought, when the Chilean miners got stuck in a mine shaft while procuring coal did the masses request all Americans not to use coal to meet our power needs? Coal, interestingly enough, accounts for nearly half of our generating capacity.

Last September a faulty gas line ruptured in San Mateo, California killing four people and destroying an entire neighborhood.  The root cause was likely a pressurized valve which was not maintained properly and over time failed. Was there a public outcry to not use natural gas as a source of power? In the event you were wondering natural gas counts another 20% of our power that is generated in the United States. Why is when these accidents occur no one questions our use of coal and natural gas? Yet, when the same sorts of mishaps occurs in nuclear plants people cite this occurrences as evidence for shutting down our current nuclear plants and scuttling our plans to build new plants.

I was hopeful nuclear power, which is renewable energy source since splitting atoms emits no carbon dioxide, could be part of long term plan to wean our country off of foreign oil and contribute to reduce the green house gas emission.

At this point, I am convinced people in general will never view nuclear power as a viable option in spite of its proven safety record. I might as well get use to this fact although I still do not understand why…

P.C.M. Should you bother becoming certified? I’m game for discussion by Tony Green

Miller Lite Logo

I was reading some postings and discussions on the merit of becoming a Professional Certified Marketer. I wrote a number of these entries myself.  Some state the certification being a worthwhile investment of time. Others find it silly to be certified as a marketer by passing a multiple choice test. Regardless of your standing on the topic the question always generates a response.

I remember as child growing up watching Miller Lite commercials on television. One version of these used retired football and baseball stars to argue in a 45 second spot over whether Miller Lite should be purchased and consumed because Lite had less filling or superior flavor.

If you wondering what this has to do with being a marketer the point of this commercial is while you and your drinking buddies were argued over the merits of Miller Lite you were focused on Miller and not any of the beers its competitors offered. Who cared which side you were on as long you went to your alcohol supplier and bought a 12-pack to sample so you could make the call for yourself?

Similarly with the P.C.M. question debate does make for thought provoking postings in the blogosphere.

What is the harm of talking? I thought marketers had the job of engaging discussion among its prospects and customers.  An interesting quote by Tom Hespos of Underscore Marketing comes to mind which states,”… What they don’t realize is that for communication to have credibility…, it needs to be a two-way dialogue between human beings, not a one-way message from a marketing department to a “target audience.” I think I my thinking should be finished for now, and a cold beer would be excellent at this point.

In the words of the commercial, “Tastes great, less filling”. Earning your PCM certification or not. I would think the reader would not decide on the basis of my blog posting. Maybe the marketing knowledge I learned studying for my P.C.M. exam was of some use.  Does this allow me to call myself a marketer? That is the topic for another blog entry, which I hope would lead to further dialogue. Conversation in the long term cannot be a bad thing for the marketing profession.

A lot of money, for Wind - a free resource by Tony Green

Wind power - A truly free resource? 

The wind blows as a result the uneven heating of the surface of the earth and its rotation. Since air currents are a natural resource the question becomes why is the cost such a pressing issue for installing wind turbines which can be a part of the solution to reduce our dependency on foreign oil?

The energy created by wind does not take place spontaneously.  A large number of complex electro-mechanical equipment is required to capture the power of this resource. Some of these components include towers, gears, and blades. Making this all happen requires engineering process and design which, in turn, costs money.

More ever, in many wind projects feasibility studies are completed to assess the impact a wind project in question will have on the environment and on the people who would become neighbors of the proposed wind project.

Another obstacle which must be addressed is the siting of the project which involves ensuring the piece of land which satisfies the required wind resources requirement does not encounter any other major issue, for example, if any endangered species would be affected the project may not be allowed to go forward.

Wind turbines offer cheap electricity, lower CO2 emissions, reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and could help in building a “new” economy based on being “green”.

Regardless of whether the value wind turbines provide is free or not clearly unlocking its potential would benefit everyone. Wouldn’t that be worthy of investment?

For more about wind power Click Here.