Transcript Energia Mia - Our Lady of the Lake University

by: Kelly L. Durham, Tracy Wolfington & Yvette Sandoval
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Organization against nuclear energy.
Promote a better environment for the
community.
Involving community by educating and
informing.
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Very expensive
Dangerous
Pollutes the air
Health Effects
Increased Terrorism
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Cost
Initial cost to build was $974 million
1981, four years behind schedule
1989, new estimate was $4.4-4.8 billion
San Antonio owns 40% of the South Texas Nuclear
Generating Station.
◦ 2006, estimates of two new generators $10-$13
billon
◦ October of 2009, estimated costs increased by $4
billon
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“In fact, we need to triple the number of
reactors in the United States (currently 104)
and probably quadruple or more the number
across the world (currently about 440), all by
the year 2050.”
Not only do we have the cost of research,
building, and maintenance to deal with, but
the cost of ‘near misses’ and public safety are
of grave concerns.
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Water usage as high as 23,170 gallons per
minute
Enough to fill 1,140 pools per day
Bexar County is in a drought
“You need a lot of water to operate nuclear
plants, this is becoming a crisis.” Jim Warren,
executive director of N.C. Waste Awareness
and Reduction Network
Near misses and catastrophic disasters:
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Cooling tower collapse at the Vermont Yankee
Nuclear Power Plant, August 2007.
South Texas Project, radioactive leakage found in
inspections in 2003
Davis-Besse, severe degradation of the nuclear
reactor vessel head that went unnoticed for year,
Ohio 2002
February 11, 1981: Eight workers are contaminated
when more than 100,000 gallons of radioactive
coolant fluid leaks into the contaminant building of
the Tennessee Valley Authority's Sequoyah 1 plant in
Tennessee.
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RADIOACTIVE WASTE
◦ Some high level nuclear waste can stay active for
100,000 years
◦ Low level nuclear waste can stay active for 10-50
years.
◦ Same technology to development nuclear weapons
◦ The International Panel on Fissile Materials
(IPFM),estimates that there are roughly 1,700 tons
of highly enriched uranium (HEU)
◦ 500 tons of separated plutonium in the world
◦ Enough for more than 100,000 nuclear weapons.
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April 26, 1986: Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
Radiation released over much of Europe
It took three days before all permanent residents
of Chernobyl and the Zone of alienation were
evacuated due to unsafe levels of radioactivity.
They were exposed to levels of over 500
roentgens, which is a fatal dose.
A New Safe Confinement structure will be built by
the end of 2011, and then will be moved into
place on rails.
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Promoting & developing energy efficiency programs
◦ Credits for energy consumers using certified energy
efficient appliances
◦ Voucher program to spur consumers to upgrade appliances
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Developing more wind power and large-scale
concentrated solar facilities
◦ South Texas has these natural resources in abundance
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Solar collectors installed on rooftops
Geothermal land cogeneration to utilize waste heat
Energy storage is becoming more of a reality, and can
combine solar and wind to create baseload power.
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Extra 200 MW of Energy Efficiency Cost: $100 Million
Install 500 MW of wind Cost: $1 billion
Develop a 500 MW Solar on Rooftops Program Cost: $210 Million
Develop 500 MW of Utility-Scale Solar Cost: $1 billion
Install 200 MW of Wind Turbines plus Storage Cost: $550 million
Install 100 MW of Geothermal Cost: $400 million
Build a 100 MW Biomass Plant Cost: $285 million
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ENERGY EFFICIENCY
◦ Cheap Resource
 Average cost of energy efficiency resource is 1-4
cents/kilowatthour vs. new nuclear power costs 12-20 cents
◦ Easily Attainable
 CPS Energy plans to save 771 megawatts of power through energy
efficiency by 2020. This amount of power is the size of a large coal
plant at a fraction of the cost.
◦ Big Potential
 2004 CPS study to find out how much energy efficiency is
available & cost effective
 Results: 1220 Megawatts
 With the city’s growth & CPS’ small stable of efficiency programs
probably even more today
◦ Jobs
 Investing in energy efficiency requires work to be done in
San Antonio. Thus it creates local green jobs that cannot be
outsourced.
 Proposed investment in reactors that would be built in Bay City &
Japan
◦ Dynamic & Adaptable
 San Antonio continues to grow but the pace has slowed due
to the recession.
 Energy efficiency is an optimal resource because it comes in
smaller chunks and is more easily tailored to meet
incremental growth in electric demand.
 Nuclear reactors only come in one size:
extra large.
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Wind & Solar Power Facilities
◦ San Antonio & South Texas have the space and
land available to develop these types of facilities
◦ San Antonio & South Texas also have wind and
solar resources in abundance due to the climate
◦ Safe for the environment and people
◦ Non-pollutant
◦ Creation of jobs and stimulation of local
economies
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CPS has power & resources to deflect opposition
◦ Their plan & presentation is not fulsome nor does it
anticipate alternative scenarios or plans
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Persuading City Council of San Antonio & Mayor
Julian Castro to explore alternative energy
sources & energy efficiency programs
Energia Mia’s lack of visibility to the general
population
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Until this class, although I was aware of the
proposed nuclear project, unaware of Energia Mia
and their mission
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Mailings & Local Meetings
◦ Utilize branch libraries to hold informational
meetings for communities
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Further development of existing Energia Mia
website
◦ www.energiamia.org
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Developing local neighborhood action groups
through Energia Mia
◦ Volunteers door to door campaign with well
developed brochures & information
◦ Bilingual presentation
Sponsor/feature local businesses who
practice energy efficiency
 Section in the local & community papers
 Social Networking Sites
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Facebook – Energia Mia has a group site
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http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=search&gid=128051
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Twitter
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Reach a larger audience
Gather more local support
Post meetings & protest information
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This class has introduced me to issues in the environment
that I didn’t know existed.
Our environment is at risk and I think we are the ones to
blame. I learned that education is the only way we as a
community can come together and make the environment
cleaner and better for the future.
Equality issues were brought to my attention when we read
about factories and plants being built in low income areas.
I think that the less fortunate have always been ignored
and treated unequally. I think that this class has opened
my eyes to that and I can educate other people about how
equality should be maintained at all income levels. The
issues of equality and justice I think go hand in hand.
Those who are being treated unequal should have the
same right to justice as other people regardless of income
or ethnicity.
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I have always known that poverty was an issue
and this class made it more clear that we need to
help the less fortunate. It is clear that even as
money as the U.S has we are still not a rich
country. Poverty is a worldwide problem.
Learning is the key to change. I think that every
problem could be solved by educating the entire
population. Reducing prices for “green” products
would also make being environmentally smarter a
lot more affordable.
Progression:
• My idea was based on ‘recycling’
• There is more to the environment that recycling
 Society is interrelated
• Through economics
• How land is used, and what is put on it
 Energy production
• Affects the ozone
• Quality of water
• Pollution of land, air, and water
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Social Economic Status
Determines where you live
How you survive
Way of life is threatened
Health
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Environment
◦ At risk – in many ways – water, food, energy,
land, beauty, ecosystem of non-human actants
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Climate change due to Global Warming
Ozone Hole & Carbon Emissions
Pollution of land & water
Destruction of environment
 Humans keep altering without regard for consequences
 Changing natural habitat of plants & animals
 Requires protection
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Equality
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Poverty
◦ What equality? Equality for some, those who have the
money, power, and means to demand it.
◦ Modern societies more often utilitarian rather than
egalitarian
◦ Worldwide problem, even in an agriculturally rich
country like the US
◦ Not impossible to solve
◦ To effect change in disadvantaged, poor countries more
advanced countries have a responsibility to provide
people the knowledge and tools without the intent to
disadvantage them economically and politically
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Learning
◦ Knowledge is the answer!
◦ It is important to remember that knowledge is directly
tied to our identities & social relations
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Justice
◦ Egalitarian society & world
◦ One that allows justice for the entire environment human
& non-human
◦ Need to effect change in our governments local, state &
national by demanding the environment be recognized
as a vital participant in the continuation of the human
race
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Go to Energia Mia website
Open the Citizen’s Toolbox
Sign the Petition to Stop Nuclear Energy
Contact your local council member & let him
or her know that you support alternative
energy options not nuclear reactors
Volunteer
Spread the word
“I would feel more optimistic
about a bright future for man if
he spent less time proving that he
can outwit Nature and more time
tasting her sweetness and
respecting her seniority.”
E. B. White