War, nuclear weapons and the UK’s place in the world
So here on Nuclear Hitchhiker we are not afraid to discuss controversial topics. But I must admit when our senior editor Mark asked me to write on nuclear disarmament I was somewhat apprehensive. This is a topic on which it is all too easy, yet all too dangerous, to sit on the fence. On the […]
Trident – no longer relevant
This month I ask, why do we need a nuclear deterrent? The debate about the need for Trident, the UK’s system of nuclear submarines and warheads, has grown particularly heated in recent months given the rise of both the SNP, who as a party have made their anti-Trident stance clear, and of Jeremy Corbyn, the new […]
The nuclear apocalypse or eternal peacetime?
When I ask people how humanity might destroy itself – as you do – it’s usually via an all-out nuclear war. Understandable, the world has seen what damage can be done by two primitive (by today’s standards) singular nuclear warheads to large cities. Why then, do some countries possess so many nuclear warheads? And why […]
Trident – a necessary deterrent
This month I ask, why do we need a nuclear deterrent? Whether or not the UK really needs a nuclear deterrent is a tricky question – one person’s necessity is another person’s extravagance. Personally, the issue has never directly caught my interest, despite its links to the main topic of my research. I’ve always felt rather […]
Inside Chernobyl: exploring the site of a major nuclear accident
Ceri is a photographer, when he heard about our blog he got in touch about an upcoming trip to Chernobyl, this article is the product of that trip, and the views here reflect on the opinions of the tour guides and locals he met. Click an image to view as a slider and in full quality. […]
A GDF requires a community-government partnership
Nuclear power production is set to grow and grow. The International Atomic Energy Agency has continuously predicted expansions to our international nuclear capacity, recently estimating that it could increase up to 68% by 2030. This will unavoidably increase the waste produced, complicating further the onerous task of nuclear waste storage. The UK long-term strategy for […]
The U.K. needs a GDF
Nuclear waste is a problem. Specifically, we need to resolve the long-term storage and management of nuclear waste stockpiles in ways that reduce or negate their environmental impact – and it is irrelevant whether you are for or against nuclear power generation being part of the future energy portfolio of the UK, or indeed the […]
PODCAST: Honesty about nuclear power
This particular post is accompanied by a reading from the author. If you use this feature, please let me know your thoughts. approximate tracking: Point 1 – 0:27 | Point 2 – 1:25 | Point 3 – 4:16 | Point 4 – 6:35 | Point 5 – 12:40 | Point 6 – 14:35 A couple […]
Waste or resource?
Nuclear reactors don’t have to be water-cooled and solid-fuelled. The molten salt reactor is very different: it runs at higher temperature and lower pressure by dissolving the fuel in a liquid chloride or fluoride salt.[1] When these salts melt they flow in a similar way to water, which makes them great for storing and moving […]
Nuclear waste – ‘deep borehole’ or ‘geological repository’ disposal
This month I asked ‘What impact has nuclear waste had (or will have) on the environment?’ While the accidental release of radionuclides into the environment would certainly be a bad thing, numerous safeguards make this quite improbable. In fact the vast majority of the effect that nuclear waste has on the environment comes instead from […]