Yesterday I had the distinct displeasure of spending three hours of my time listening to junk science, manipulation of the weak-minded, and fear mongering by none other than Alec Baldwin.
His target: A nuclear power plant that provides clean, safe, and reliable energy to thousands of homes.
The town hall style meeting was staged by the Ocean County League of Women Voters. The advertisement for the event spoke of a fair and balanced meeting to discuss “the health hazards, if any” of the plant in question. But when I got there I realized it was quite the opposite.
In her opening remarks, the chairwoman of the league flat out said that it was the decision of her group to be against the continued operation of this plant. I’m sorry, but if you are claiming to hold an open discussion, then why open the event with such a polarizing statement?
Then it was Baldwin brother number #1 who took the mic. He began his remarks by asking the audience who among them was in favor of nuclear power. His intentions were clear to me – to allow the group of radical anti-nuke activists to immediately identify the few in the biased crowd who represented the majority of American’s who favor nuclear energy.
At no point in his mindless banter did the actor make anything resembling a remark backed by legitimate science. In fact, nearly every study he cited has been debunked by the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the scientific community as a whole. One thing he did plenty of was instill fear into the crowd. He made such outlandish claims as to say that this plant was destroying the ecosystem in the local waterways when in fact the waters near this installation are some of the best fishing grounds in the state. He claimed that the plant was releasing radioactive isotopes into the air and that they were turning up in baby teeth even though it has been proven that this is the result of background contamination from the atmospheric nuclear weapons testing of the Cold War.
The truly disgusting moment that exposed Baldwin and his gang of fear mongerers for the deplorable radicals they are was when a young girl, only 15 years old, took the mic in the Q&A period. A student at a local high school, this girl not even old enough to drive a car presented a question to the panel that was well researched and grounded in cold, hard, scientific facts. The response given by the chairwoman of the organization was to cut her off mid-sentence at which point the entire room began to boo and heckle her in a manner fit for Terrell Owens, not an intelligent young person taking an active part in her community. She was later seen crying outside the room after the onslaught of a crowd blinded by their own fear.
Rest assured Mr. Baldwin, your lunacy falls for the most part on deaf ears. That plant will continue to operate as will others like it and several more about to be built. Your tactics of fear and intimidation cannot stop the Nuclear Renaissance. Nuclear energy is clean. It is safe. It is here to stay.
~Man Overboard
50 Comments
Alec Baldwin: “Hey Billy, you know what sucks about being a Baldwin?”
Billy Baldwin: “No what?”
Alec Baldwin: “Nothin!”
Is he really trying to live up to his Team America persona. This sounds like so familiar. It happens any time a small group of small minded people hold a forum to discuss anything. I wish some one had stood up for the girl. People like this need to Move past their willful ignorance and move forward into the age of reason. Try doing a little actual research and quit trying to tell me you know what’s best. Another thing I am so sick and tired of actors thinking they have some magic ability that makes them speakers of the free world and they even matter. What do they do for a living?
They pretend to be some one else. Just because you played a part that involved you being on a nuclear submarine (Hunt for Red October) does not mean you know anything about nuclear energy. That would be like Keanu Reeves saying he knows anything about building a bomb Chain Reaction). I am still fuming but I will atop here. Nice job Jack.
This just conferms my opinion that the acting comunit is made up of mindless morons that should probably be locked away when there not “entering’ or at lest baned from makeing coments bout anything ous side of the movy industry. as for that group of people thay should be forced to apoliges to the girl and sent back to basic science class, this whole thing sounds like a fox news program, ok ill stop ranting now.
In your last sentence , where you wrote ,”it is here to stay”, are you talking about the nuclear waste ?
Seriously, when James LoveLock, practically the father of neo-hippy ultra-left environmentalism came out in support of modern nuclear power..I thought the discussion closed. Then again, I’m a moron.
Ok, so I’m a Conservative which may not make me agree with everything written on this blog. But at least nuke power is something our groups can agree on. It’s safe, doesn’t pollute(Evil Republicans like clean air and water too
and we got enuff uranium to last a long long time..and then there are the thorium breeder reactors that are being tried out. There is enuff easily mineable thorium to last us..until the sun explodes, roughly. Ohh, and thorium reactors can’t easily make bombs. Bonus.
Point being, in this era of bitter partisanship, we should do more to agree on the things we agree on.
Gimmie nuclear power!
It’s the safe,smart,reliable,available-today ‘Alternative Energy’ source.
Uh, nuclear waste isn’t a problem in your opinion? If not, you can get you a free condo at the base of Yucca Mountain…
Dear, Mrs.Sharpe. It has come to my attention that your son Jay has not developed the rudimentary writing skills with the rest of his classmates. To help him catch up to his peers we shall transfer him into an ESL class where he can study English with others who do not fully grasp the use of it.
Yes, Alec Baldwin is a bit of a douche bag. I share the same first name, but i always refer to Alec Guiness (Obi Wan) first. BUT!!!!! If any of you “blinky’s” out there have read anything about nuclear waste…. It won’t cool off for several generations at least. And that’s the stuff that was created in the sixties, so the crap that’s made today will be around for your great grandchildren to clean up if any of those sarcophogi ever leak.
So, the options are spend billions of dollars now for nuke plants to be built in 5-10 years, or maybe spend some of that money on R&D for energy that is TRULY clean. I’m sorry all you self-styled Conservatives are eating lies for breakfast, but solar and wind can be viable if you jerks would shut up and stop sperading lies. Go read a book or something.
Now everyone just hold on one minute…
Alec Baldwin knows exactly what he’s talking about. Does everyone forget that this man is a respected member of the Church of Scientology. Scientology is a religion of the future, we live in the present, so therefor Alec Baldwin must be always ahead of the times and know exactly what we need to do to reach the future successfully.
If you don’t believe me ask Tom Cruise.
Guess what Justin – when you go to the dentists you get more radiation than you ever will from nuclear waste. When you fly on an airplane you get more raditation than you ever will from nuclear waste. When you visit the US Capitol Building you will get more radiation than you ever will from nuclear waste.
Do the math, read the science. Face the fact that you fear radiation because you just don’t understand it. Don’t be ashamed, it’s human nature. But it is not human nature to be ignorant and blindly follow an actor claiming to be an expert. Educate yourself and make your own decision.
Entz,
to mock someone for poor grammar in their second language is not funny – it’s actualy kind of sad.
How is your German grammar?
Let us all remember that man did not ‘create’ Uranium, or plutonium, it was here already. Radioactivity is a NATURAL thing. Our sun is a natural fusion reactor, it is even unshielded. we have life due solely to the effects of radiation all day every day from a open fusion reaction about 8 light seconds away. So count me in for renewable, safe efficient power. Yes we will have to return the waste back to the earth FROM WHICH IT CAME, deal with it.
From your about us page:
I should have read your description before posting on your blog – you’re clearly an fool on the level of bill o’reilly.
Still, I took your advice even though I thought I already had a good hold on the issues. Indeed after reading a dozen wiki articles and what not, my opinion did change…
I’m more convinced than I was an hour ago.
Nuclear power is not worth it.
Before repeating a call on me, or any other commenter to “Do the math, read the science. Face the fact that you fear radiation because you just don’t understand it…” I’d like to see you provide some citations to articles supporting your position.
Or do you just have it out for the baldwins…cause I’m with you there.
Is Wikipedia supposed to represent the authority on the subject?
That garbage is written by anyone who cares to take the time.
Nice try. Since you seem to be an authority on the matter, why don’t you write a wiki article on the subject you obviously “care to take the time” to express(by writing your original post and defend here). I somehow doubt your wiki article would meet the neutrality standard, and would not be deleted in it’s entirety – a challenge to you!
I like radiation. Radiation gave us Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic 4, and toxic waste gave us the Toxic Avenger.
This really is the direction this argument is going. However I do agree with Jack that if you are going to study science don’t go to Wikipedia. If you want rhetoric and conjecture fine. If you want real science find a website dedicated to the science.
Justin, the day I consider the unfounded rantings of a nuclear intervenor a challenge is the day I hand back my engineering degree.
To answer the lack of detail in my post, there are those forces at work that would twist anything I say out of context, add their own fear mongering junk science to it, and use it to hurt the industry. In the interests of self-preservation I am unable to babel you with the facts at hand despite the gratification it would afford me.
In any case, to sit here and compare actual science to your misinformation would only legitimize any bogus claims you might make.
In other words you got nothing.
Yes, Jim, thank you for watering that down to a level more suitable for the intended audience.
Well turn me on to the information you guys are hip to and lets see what it is? You say you’ve got some good reason, lets hear it.
Justin, I admire your persistence, Keep it up!
How about this one Justin:
How many people in the US have died from Radiation exposure due to commercial nuclear power plants or their waste products?
How many people in the US have died due to bee stings?
How many people in the US have died due to falling coconuts?
How many people have died due to jelly fish attacks?
How many people have died due to alergies to peanut oil?
I guess we should ban peanut oil and wipe out the bees, coconuts, and jellyfish because statisticaly they have all killed FAR more people than nuclear energy.
Do i need to mention how many people die every year due to gasoline explosions or coal mine collapses?
Nuclear is the safest form of reliable energy available to us. So either invent the alternative or get out of the way.
Jack, how many people die after spinning around a baseball bat 25 times and accidentally fall off a cliff?
Hey I may have fell but I did not die. However I have a severe limp and I am typing this dictation software. Kidding of course.
Using fear is not a tactic used soley by Alec Baldwin (he was great in “The Departed”). check this out. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/3755686.stm
Awesome article keeks.
In that vain, Jack, while I agree that until there’s another alternative energy we should consider nuclear as the best, I think its misleading to compare nuclear casualties to bee (etc.) casualties – aren’t there way less nuclear plants than bees? There’s just way more of a chance for a swarm of bees to take me down than there is for a nuclear plant….
..unless we build nuclear plants in every possible and necessary location…then would the risk be increased?
All I can say is the WORST nuclear accident in United States history, The Three Mile Island Accident of 1979, resulted in absolutely ZERO deaths, ZERO injuries, and ZERO illness. The people near the plant would have received more radiation dose on most comercial airline flights. So why is the airline industry not under fire for exposing the public to radiation while the nuclear energy industry is?
FEAR thats why. Good old fashioned, unadulterated FEAR.
Are you suggesting we should adulterate the fear?
Fear doesn’t have to know.
Are you guys talking about Fear staring Marky Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon? Let’s not forget Alyssa Milano…if thats the case, I think that it has already been adulterated.
Good stuff jack, I’m not surprised to see that you’ve only posted even more anecdotal evidence, reducing all of the factors of the nuclear issue to a comparison to coconuts. I am aware of the very low number of deaths(though certainly not zero, due to long-term effects)- But consider the number of deaths caused by the two atomic weapons we’ve used, the countless maimed in our testing of nukes…
I am not motivated at all by fear, I simply think solar/wind/geothermal is teh way to go.
I’ll check back tomorrow night
Nuclear weapons has not been mentioned once throughout this entire post and are entirely irrelevant to this debate: just another scare tactic.
As to solar, wind, and geothermal: What happens when there is no wind? What happens when the sky is cloudy? How will you get the electricity to pump water deep underground?
Show me a viable source of any of those and I’ll gladly stand behind it.
I see. Speaking of tactics – how about re-labeling any legitimate concern as a “scare tactic”? Not too clever if you ask me.
Solar: There is always sun in space(this is just one solution to your problem, not the only one) – Large solar based arrays transmit energy as microwaves to earth based stations 24/7.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4230315.html
Wind: There is always wind (in excess of 200mph) in the jet-stream. High altitude wind systems come in several varieties, this is my favorite:
http://www.magenn.com/
Geothermal: The U.S. and Australia have 2 of the largest deposits of “hot rocks” in the world. Enough energy is already under our feet to meet the power needs of the country for 1000 years. Where will you get the power to circulate the superheated water? It’s a power plant.
http://www.geodynamics.com.au/IRM/content/hfr_hfrexplain_hfrgeothermal.html
There ya go.
Airborne wind turbines are decades away at best. Microwave transmission of of solar energy? I thought you were afraid of radiation. What happens when your satelites point that beam in the wrong direction and accidently cook half of lower Manhattan? Sounds ridiculous I know – but so does your fear of Nuclear Fission.
Oh yea, and Orbital solar panels transmitting energy via microwave is also decades away.
As to your Popular Mechanics reference – PM has been promising me the SkyCar for about 50 years now and I am yet to take off in my Honda Jet plane-car rocket bugy aero-sedan and seriously doubt it will be coming my way any time soon.
Still Jack, you must recognize the effort. Well done Justin.
Hey Justin!
Speaking of solar power: More people die from sun stroke than from nuclear contamination. And Justin, you haven’t given us any information or data to back up any claims that the nuclear power plants in the U.S. pose a major threat to the public. All you have done is call people names and attack them individually. This is a common tactic used by people who don’t know what the hell they’re talkin’ about.
And did you know that “65% of all liberals are queer? That’s a fact. The Wallace people took a poll.” Joe in the movie by the same title, 1966.
” Where will you get the power to circulate the superheated water? It’s a power plant.
”
Congratulations Justin! You’ve obviously just discovered the formula for perpetual motion! You’ve managed to take on average 55 degree water and extract enough energy to pump it up and down 100 feet of pipe (obviously frictionless pipe – again congratualations on inventing frictionless pipe) and still have enough thermal energy to turn 55 degree water into steam and turn a turbine (you’ve now invented the frictionless turbine as well – your really racking up the Nobel prizes here arn’t you). Not only that, but your turning your fricitonless turbine, powered by 55 degree steam, pumped hundreds of feet through a fricitonless pipe and are now generating the thousands of megawatts necesary to replace all the nuclear reactors currently in operation AND meet the ever-growing energy needs thus making additional reactors unnecessary.
I’m glad that you’ve performed all of these mircales because the thousands of engineers and scientists who have been trying to crack this egg for years have been unable to do so.
Man I wish I knew anything about this topic. All I can provide is plucky comic relief. “Wuzzel Wazzel.” (What Bart Simpson said after his tag line “I didn’t do it” didn’t get laughter.)
Mr. Gunderson, 65% seems a bit high but hell I just got done doing a musical so maybe its spot on.
opps gundabar
sigh.
Anyway, I think I’ll move on. Good chatting with you!
Justin, your tenacity has been noted.
I stumbled upon a pretty sweet article on Geothermal Energy. The article even uses the word ginormous.
I ‘Stumbled’ upon this debate but thought it worthwhile reading all of the comments. I am very firmly in the nuclear energy camp. There are many ‘Greens’ out there who spout on about clean energy etc and then continue with the wind and Sun arguments. Where they fall down is in the CO2 cost of building their generators and in the inability of the generators to produce power when required. Nuclear power stations do not produce waste which is any more lethal than that delivered by granite.
Great point about the granite John
Using nukes is fine…only the emotionally hysterical and uneducated people could be against it.
However, geothermal gets my vote. It has none of the hysterical radiation fears and is virtually non-polluting.
Geo is the cheapest technology and there is enough of it available to satisfy demand far, far into the future. After all, the
interior of our planet is a molten mass.
We need to develop this resource.
Forgive my ignorance on this comment:
Does anyone think there are risks to utilizing geothermal energy? The risks I am just dreaming about are derived from the second law of thermodynamics: can’t create it or destroy it, only change it. So if we are continuously draining energy from the innards of our planet, is there anything we would have to worry about; like, disrupting some sort of critical balance between the layer of molten whatever that our crust sits on? Or something along those lines?
Again – ignorance confirmed. Just asking if anyone has ever heard something along those lines?
Jay,
An excellent point and it shows your thinking along the right lines – there is always a catch.
But in this case, when talking about the heat and pressures involved under the Earth’s crust, I think we’re into forces on a scale too large to be affected by our medling.
We may be able to slow down an active volcano by a small margin for instance. By slowly bleeding off pressure to spin a turbine we might be able to delay an eruption by a few years. But we could never in a million years stop said eruption from happening. There is just too much energy involved.
LOLOLOL, fun times
Justin: GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE NUCLEAR BAD GOBBLE GOBBLE WASTE
Jack: GOBBLE, GOOBBLE, GOBBLE *bitch slap*
>_> That is what I witnessed! >:D
There were a few Durka-Durkas in there too.
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