The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[gfp927z]

One big downside to nuclear power that isn't widely appreciated involves the vulnerability of nuclear powerplants to EMP/Electro Magnetic Pulse.

During an EMP event, whether from a solar storm (coronal mass ejection) or from an EMP weapon, the power grid to the region is knocked out, which means the water pumps that cool the nuclear reactor will kick into backup mode, which in most cases are pumps run by diesel fuel. Nuclear powerplants (the US has approx 100) have between 2-4 weeks worth of diesel fuel stored on-site, after which the pumps stop working, the reactor core goes critical, and explodes ala Fukashima. Most of the trucks that would normally resupply the diesel fuel will be inoperative due to the EMP (fried electronics).

This and other scenarios are discussed by former CIA Director James Woolsey and EMP expert Peter Vincent Pry. Quite an eye opener -