Recently in environment Category
Energy is dangerous: A five pound rock four feet above the ground (twenty foot pounds) can break your toes if it falls on them.
More concentrated energy is more dangerous: The same rock 106 feet above the ground can break your head (roughly 500 foot pounds).
Gasoline can explode. Lithium batteries can catch fire. The more we concentrate energy into tiny spaces, the more dangerous it gets. We compromise between safety (low energy density) and convenience (high energy density).
Nuclear energy is pretty dense. It's pretty dangerous. We compensate by building safety around the reactors - so much that most of them are not at all portable (exceptions being the ones on ships and satellites).
Considering the accidents we've had, I think nuclear energy has been pretty safe. There have been explosions at coal-fired plants. There have been dambreaks. These are the risks of concentrated energy.
I live in Illinois - the state where the Manhattan Project began and the state that has more nuclear power plants than any other.
I have picnicked with my family at Red Gate Woods, where two sites contain the remains of research reactors from the Manhattan Project (I discovered this when I stumbled upon one of these while walking in the woods).
I have lived in West Chicago, site of a cleanup of radioactive thorium left behind by the manufacture of lantern mantles.
I live within the evacuation area for the Dresden plant - the site of the first commercial nuclear power reactor - also the first commercial nuclear power reactor to be shut down (and it was due to problems with the reactor). I have camped in the shadow of the Zion (now shut down) and Byron nuclear power plants.
For the first few years in our new home, we drank and bathed in water with radium levels in violation of EPA standards.
I work just north of Argonne Laboratories, which contains several research reactors.
A friend of mine is a pastor in Ottawa Illinois: the site of the Luminous Dial Company, where many women developed cancer as a result of painting numbers on clocks using radium-based paint.
I have visited all of these sites and more in setting up a motorcycle rally (called "Glow in the Dark").
Here's my take:
I'm not "No Nukes Anywhere" (NNA). I'm also (clearly) not "Not In My Back Yard" (NIMBY).
My position, as a Christian, is "Not In Someone Else's Back Yard If Not In My Back Yard" (NISEBYINIMBY). OK, it's a lousy acronym, but my point is this: "If I won't accept it where I live, I should not accept it where someone else lives". This is pretty simple to extrapolate from Jesus' teachings.
Those who desire nuclear plants(and coal-burning plants, and dams, etc. ad nauseum) should desire them near their home, work, and the schools and parks where their children play. These things will inevitably be near someone's home, work, and the schools and parks where their children play, as someone will work there and have a family.
More concentrated energy is more dangerous: The same rock 106 feet above the ground can break your head (roughly 500 foot pounds).
Gasoline can explode. Lithium batteries can catch fire. The more we concentrate energy into tiny spaces, the more dangerous it gets. We compromise between safety (low energy density) and convenience (high energy density).
Nuclear energy is pretty dense. It's pretty dangerous. We compensate by building safety around the reactors - so much that most of them are not at all portable (exceptions being the ones on ships and satellites).
Considering the accidents we've had, I think nuclear energy has been pretty safe. There have been explosions at coal-fired plants. There have been dambreaks. These are the risks of concentrated energy.
I live in Illinois - the state where the Manhattan Project began and the state that has more nuclear power plants than any other.
I have picnicked with my family at Red Gate Woods, where two sites contain the remains of research reactors from the Manhattan Project (I discovered this when I stumbled upon one of these while walking in the woods).
I have lived in West Chicago, site of a cleanup of radioactive thorium left behind by the manufacture of lantern mantles.
I live within the evacuation area for the Dresden plant - the site of the first commercial nuclear power reactor - also the first commercial nuclear power reactor to be shut down (and it was due to problems with the reactor). I have camped in the shadow of the Zion (now shut down) and Byron nuclear power plants.
For the first few years in our new home, we drank and bathed in water with radium levels in violation of EPA standards.
I work just north of Argonne Laboratories, which contains several research reactors.
A friend of mine is a pastor in Ottawa Illinois: the site of the Luminous Dial Company, where many women developed cancer as a result of painting numbers on clocks using radium-based paint.
I have visited all of these sites and more in setting up a motorcycle rally (called "Glow in the Dark").
Here's my take:
I'm not "No Nukes Anywhere" (NNA). I'm also (clearly) not "Not In My Back Yard" (NIMBY).
My position, as a Christian, is "Not In Someone Else's Back Yard If Not In My Back Yard" (NISEBYINIMBY). OK, it's a lousy acronym, but my point is this: "If I won't accept it where I live, I should not accept it where someone else lives". This is pretty simple to extrapolate from Jesus' teachings.
Those who desire nuclear plants(and coal-burning plants, and dams, etc. ad nauseum) should desire them near their home, work, and the schools and parks where their children play. These things will inevitably be near someone's home, work, and the schools and parks where their children play, as someone will work there and have a family.
There is the question of nuclear waste. We already have problems with
toxic waste products: solids that don't break down for decades or centuries and waste gases (carbon dioxide and more immediately harmful
gases) that cause problems from other energy sources (including wood,
which may be the oldest non-animal energy source used by humans).
Nuclear waste is toxic waste.
Nuclear waste has a geometric decay rate. Unstable elements are given "half lives" because, in a given amount of time, half of it will decay. In the same amount of time, half of the remaining half will decay.
Imagine owing $65,536 to the bank for your mortgage. Imagine that you were not allowed to pay it, but the debt decreased with a half life of one year.
After one year you would owe $32,768.
After two, $16,384.
Three: $8,192.
Four: $4096.
Five: $2048.
Ten: $64.
Fifteen: $2.
After 18 years, you would still owe 25 cents. After 20, 6.25 cents.
When would you pay off the mortgage?
So it's important to look at how long it takes these isotopes to decay.
Bear in mind, however, that "decay" doesn't mean that they disappear. Each atom of one isotope decays into a different isotope (usually of a different element). Often, these new atoms are also unstable. See http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/understand/chain.html
Here is an incomplete list of half lives of various isotopes, along with a few mileposts for reference:
source for half lives: http://www.iem-inc.com/toolhalf.html
Fuel
Product of non-fission events including neutron loss or absorption
Fission product
decay product of above unstable elements
Po-212 - 0.305 microseconds
Po-213 - 4.2 microseconds
Po-214 - 164.3 microseconds
Po-215 - 0.00178 seconds
At-217 - 0.0323 seconds
Po-216 - 0.15 seconds
Po-211 - 0.516 seconds
At-218 - 2 seconds
Rn-219 - 3.96 seconds
N-16 - 7.13 seconds
Ag-110 - 24.6 seconds
Rh-106 - 29.9 seconds
Rn-220 - 55.6 seconds
Nb-97m - 60 seconds
Pa-234m - 1.17 minutes
O-15 - 122.24 seconds
Bi-211 - 2.14 minutes
Tl-209 - 2.20 minutes
Ba-137m - 2.552 minutes
Kr-88 - 2.84 minutes
Po-218 - 3.05 minutes
Tl-208 - 3.07 minutes
Tl-207 - 4.77 minutes
Fr-221 - 4.8 minutes
Pr-144m - 7.2 minutes
Np-240m - 7.4 minutes
N-13 - 9.97 minutes
Ba-142 - 10.6 minutes
Te-133 - 12.45 minutes
Tc-101 - 14.2 minutes
Xe-138 - 14.17 minutes
Rb-89 - 15.2 minutes
Xe-135m - 15.29 minutes
Rb-88 - 17.8 minutes
Pr-144 - 17.28 minutes
Ba-141 - 18.27 minutes
Sb-126m - 19.0 minutes
Bi-214 - 19.9 minutes
C-11 - 20.38 minutes
Mn-52m - 21.1 minutes
Fr-223 - 21.8 minutes
Te-131 - 25.0 minutes
Pb-214 - 26.8 minutes
Br-84 - 31.80 minutes
Cs-138 - 32.2 minutes
Pb-211 - 36.1 minutes
Te-134 - 41.8 minutes
Bi-213 - 45.65 minutes
Y-91m - 49.71 minutes
I-134 - 52.6 minutes
Te-133m - 55.4 minutes
Rh-103m - 56.12 minutes
Zn-69 - 57 minutes
Bi-212 - 60.55 minutes
Np-240 - 65 minutes
Te-129 - 69.6 minutes
Nb-97 - 72.1 minutes
Kr-87 - 76.3 minutes
Ba-139 - 82.7 minutes
La-142 - 92.5 minutes
F-18 - 109.74 minutes
In-113 - 1.658 hours
Ar-41 - 1.827 hours
Kr-83m - 1.83 hours
I-132 - 2.30 hours
Br-83 - 2.39 hours
Ni-65 - 2.520 hours
Mn-56 - 2.579 hours
Sr-92 - 2.71 hours
Sr-87m - 2.81 hours
Cs-134m - 2.90 hours
Pb-209 - 3.253 hours
Cu-61 - 3.408 hours
Y-92 - 3.54 hours
Sc-44 - 3.927 hours
La-141 - 3.93 hours
Ru-105 - 4.44 hours
Kr-85m - 4.48 hours
Pu-243 - 4.956 hours
Pu-241 - 14.4 years
Tc-99m - 6.02 hours
Ac-228 - 6.13 hours
I-135 - 6.61 hours
Pa-234 - 6.70 hours
Xe-135 - 9.09 hours
Te-127 - 9.35 hours
Sr-91 - 9.5 hours
Y-93 - 10.1 hours
Pb-212 - 10.64 hours
K-42 - 12.36 hours
I-130 - 12.36 hours
Cu-64 - 12.701 hours
I-123 - 13.2 hours
Pd-109 0- 13.427 hours
Pr-143 - 13.56 days
U-240 - 14.1 hours
Na-24 - 15.00 hours
Am-242 - 16.02 hours
Zr-97 - 16.90 hours Zirconium is used in the cladding of the fuel rods
I-133 - 20.8 hours
K-43 - 22.6 hours
W-187 - 23.9 hours
Th-231 - 25.52 hours
Pm-151 - 28.40 hours
Te-131m - 30 hours
Ce-143 - 33.0 hours
Br-82 - 35.30 hours
Rh-105 - 35.36 hours
Mn-57 - 36.08 hours
La-140 - 40.272 hours
Sc-48 - 43.7 hours
Sm-153 - 46.7 hours
Np-238 - 2.117 days
Pm-149 - 53.08 hours
Np-239 - 2.355 days
Hg-197 - 64.1 hours
Xe-133m - 2.188 days
Au-198 - 2.696 days
Mo-99 - 66.0 hours
In-111 - 2.83 days
Ru-97 - 2.9 days
Tl-201 - 73.06 hours
Te-132 - 78.2 hours
Ga-67 - 3.261 days
Sc-47 - 3.351 days
Ra-224 - 3.66 days
Nb-95m - 86.6 hours
Rn-222 - 3.824 days
Sb-127 - 3.85 days
Ca-47 - 4.53 days
Bi-210 - 5.012 days
Xe-133 - 5.245 days
Pm-148 - 5.37 days
Mn-52 - 5.591 days
U-237 - 6.75 days
Ag-111 - 7.45 days
I-131 - 8.04 days
Sn-125 - 9.64 days
Ac-225 - 10.0 days
Nd-147 - 10.98 days
Ra-223 - 11.434 days
Xe-131m - 11.9 days
Sb-126 - 12.4 days
Ba-140 - 12.74 days
Cs-136 - 13.1 days
P-32 - 14.29 days
Ra-225 - 14.8 days
Eu-156 - 15.19 days
V-48 - 16.238 days
Rb-86 - 18.66 days
Th-227 - 18.718 days
Th-234 - 24.10 days
Pa-233 - 27.0 days
Cr-51 - 27.704 days
Yb-169 - 32.01 days
Ce-141 - 32.50 days
Te-129m - 33.6 days
Nb-95 - 35.15 days
Ru-103 - 39.28 days
Pm-148 - 41.3 days
Fe-59 - 44.53 days
Cd-115m - 44.6 days
Hg-203 - 46.60 days
Sr-89 - 50.5 days
Be-7 - 53.44 days
Te-125m - 58 days
Y-91 - 58.51 days
I-125 - 60.14 days
Sb-124 - 60.20 days
Zr-95 - 63.98 days Zirconium is used in the cladding of the fuel rods
Y-90 - 64.0 hours
Sr-85 - 64.84 days
Co-58 - 70.8 days
Tb-160 - 72.3 days
Ir-192 - 74.02 days
W-185 - 75.1 days
Co-56 - 78.76 days
Sc-46 - 83.83 days
S-35 - 87.44 days
Te-127m - 109 days
Se-75 - 119.78 days
W-181 - 121.2 days
Sn-123 - 129.2 days
Po-210 - 138.38 days
Cm-242 - 162.8 days
Zn-65 - 243.9 days
Ag-110m - 249.9 days
Co-57 - 270.9 days
Average term of human pregnancy - 280 days
Ce-144 - 284.3 days
Sn-119m - 293.1 days
Mn-54 - 312.5 days
Ru-106 - 368.2 days
Th-228 - 1.913 years
Cs-134 - 2.062 years
Na-22 - 2.602 years
Pm-147 - 2.6234 years
Cf-252 - 2.638 years
Fe-55 - 2.7 years
Sb-125 - 2.77 years
Eu-155 - 4.96 years
Co-60 - 5.27 years
Ra-228 - 5.75 years
Eu-154 - 8.8 years
Kr-85 - 10.72 years
H-3 - 12.35 years (Tritium)
Eu-152 - 13.33 years
Cd-113m - 13.6 years
Nb-93m - 13.6 years
Cm-244 - 18.11 years
Ac-227 - 21.773 years
Pb-210 - 22.3 years
Cm-243 - 28.5 years
Sr-90 - 29.12 years
Cs-137 - 30.0 years
Time since UCC began - 54 years
U-232 - 72 years
Pu-238 - 87.74 years
Sm-151 - 90 years
Ni-63 - 96 years
Am-242m - 152 years
Am-241 - 432.2 years
Time since Luther's 95 Theses - 496 years
Ho-166m - 1,200 years
Ra-226 - 1,600 years
Time since crucifixion of Jesus - ~1980 years
Time since building of Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem - ~2968 years
Mo-93 - 3,500 years
Time since world was created (Ussher) - 6014 years
Cm-246 - 4,730 years
C-14 - 5,730 years
Pu-240 - 6537 years
Th-229 - 7,340 years
Am-243 - 7,380 years
Pu-239 - 24,065 years
Cm-245 - 8,500 years
Time since world was created (Camping) - 13,023 years
Pa-231 - 32,800 years
Se-79 - 65,000 years
Ni-59 - 75,000 years
Th-230 - 77,000 years
Sn-126 - 100,000 years
Ca-41 - 130,000 years
U-233 - 159,000 years
Tc-99 - 213,000 years
U-234 - 244,500 years
Cm-248 - 339,000 years
Pu-242 - 376,000 years
K-40 - 1,270,000,000 years
Zr-93 - 1,530,000 years Zirconium is used in the cladding of the fuel rods
Be-10 - 1,600,000 years
Np-237 - 2,140,000 years
Cs-135 - 2,300,000 years
Pd-107 - 6,500,000 years
Cm-247 - 15,600,000 years
I-129 - 15,700,000 years
U-236 - 23,400,000 years
Pu-244 - 82,600,000 years
U-235 - 703,000,000 years (fissile uranium - the isotope increased when "enriched")
Oklo nuclear reactor - 1,700,000,000 years ago
Time since life on Earth began (Science) - 3,700,000,000 years
U-238 - 4,470,000,000 years (the isotope decreased when "enriched" - isotope more present in "depleted" uranium)
Time since Earth was created (Science) - 4,540,000,000 years
Time since sun was created (Science) - 4,570,000,000 years
Time since big bang (Science) - 13,750,000,000 years
Th-232 - 14,100,000,000 years
Rb-87 - 47,000,000,000 years
Re-187 - 50,000,000,000 years
Sm-147 - 106,000,000,000 years
Gd-152 - 108,000,000,000,000 years
In-115 - 5,100,000,000,000,000 years
Stable isotopes:
Tl-205
Pb-206
Pb-207
Pb-208
Nuclear waste is toxic waste.
Nuclear waste has a geometric decay rate. Unstable elements are given "half lives" because, in a given amount of time, half of it will decay. In the same amount of time, half of the remaining half will decay.
Imagine owing $65,536 to the bank for your mortgage. Imagine that you were not allowed to pay it, but the debt decreased with a half life of one year.
After one year you would owe $32,768.
After two, $16,384.
Three: $8,192.
Four: $4096.
Five: $2048.
Ten: $64.
Fifteen: $2.
After 18 years, you would still owe 25 cents. After 20, 6.25 cents.
When would you pay off the mortgage?
So it's important to look at how long it takes these isotopes to decay.
Bear in mind, however, that "decay" doesn't mean that they disappear. Each atom of one isotope decays into a different isotope (usually of a different element). Often, these new atoms are also unstable. See http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/understand/chain.html
Here is an incomplete list of half lives of various isotopes, along with a few mileposts for reference:
source for half lives: http://www.iem-inc.com/toolhalf.html
Fuel
Product of non-fission events including neutron loss or absorption
Fission product
decay product of above unstable elements
Po-212 - 0.305 microseconds
Po-213 - 4.2 microseconds
Po-214 - 164.3 microseconds
Po-215 - 0.00178 seconds
At-217 - 0.0323 seconds
Po-216 - 0.15 seconds
Po-211 - 0.516 seconds
At-218 - 2 seconds
Rn-219 - 3.96 seconds
N-16 - 7.13 seconds
Ag-110 - 24.6 seconds
Rh-106 - 29.9 seconds
Rn-220 - 55.6 seconds
Nb-97m - 60 seconds
Pa-234m - 1.17 minutes
O-15 - 122.24 seconds
Bi-211 - 2.14 minutes
Tl-209 - 2.20 minutes
Ba-137m - 2.552 minutes
Kr-88 - 2.84 minutes
Po-218 - 3.05 minutes
Tl-208 - 3.07 minutes
Tl-207 - 4.77 minutes
Fr-221 - 4.8 minutes
Pr-144m - 7.2 minutes
Np-240m - 7.4 minutes
N-13 - 9.97 minutes
Ba-142 - 10.6 minutes
Te-133 - 12.45 minutes
Tc-101 - 14.2 minutes
Xe-138 - 14.17 minutes
Rb-89 - 15.2 minutes
Xe-135m - 15.29 minutes
Rb-88 - 17.8 minutes
Pr-144 - 17.28 minutes
Ba-141 - 18.27 minutes
Sb-126m - 19.0 minutes
Bi-214 - 19.9 minutes
C-11 - 20.38 minutes
Mn-52m - 21.1 minutes
Fr-223 - 21.8 minutes
Te-131 - 25.0 minutes
Pb-214 - 26.8 minutes
Br-84 - 31.80 minutes
Cs-138 - 32.2 minutes
Pb-211 - 36.1 minutes
Te-134 - 41.8 minutes
Bi-213 - 45.65 minutes
Y-91m - 49.71 minutes
I-134 - 52.6 minutes
Te-133m - 55.4 minutes
Rh-103m - 56.12 minutes
Zn-69 - 57 minutes
Bi-212 - 60.55 minutes
Np-240 - 65 minutes
Te-129 - 69.6 minutes
Nb-97 - 72.1 minutes
Kr-87 - 76.3 minutes
Ba-139 - 82.7 minutes
La-142 - 92.5 minutes
F-18 - 109.74 minutes
In-113 - 1.658 hours
Ar-41 - 1.827 hours
Kr-83m - 1.83 hours
I-132 - 2.30 hours
Br-83 - 2.39 hours
Ni-65 - 2.520 hours
Mn-56 - 2.579 hours
Sr-92 - 2.71 hours
Sr-87m - 2.81 hours
Cs-134m - 2.90 hours
Pb-209 - 3.253 hours
Cu-61 - 3.408 hours
Y-92 - 3.54 hours
Sc-44 - 3.927 hours
La-141 - 3.93 hours
Ru-105 - 4.44 hours
Kr-85m - 4.48 hours
Pu-243 - 4.956 hours
Pu-241 - 14.4 years
Tc-99m - 6.02 hours
Ac-228 - 6.13 hours
I-135 - 6.61 hours
Pa-234 - 6.70 hours
Xe-135 - 9.09 hours
Te-127 - 9.35 hours
Sr-91 - 9.5 hours
Y-93 - 10.1 hours
Pb-212 - 10.64 hours
K-42 - 12.36 hours
I-130 - 12.36 hours
Cu-64 - 12.701 hours
I-123 - 13.2 hours
Pd-109 0- 13.427 hours
Pr-143 - 13.56 days
U-240 - 14.1 hours
Na-24 - 15.00 hours
Am-242 - 16.02 hours
Zr-97 - 16.90 hours Zirconium is used in the cladding of the fuel rods
I-133 - 20.8 hours
K-43 - 22.6 hours
W-187 - 23.9 hours
Th-231 - 25.52 hours
Pm-151 - 28.40 hours
Te-131m - 30 hours
Ce-143 - 33.0 hours
Br-82 - 35.30 hours
Rh-105 - 35.36 hours
Mn-57 - 36.08 hours
La-140 - 40.272 hours
Sc-48 - 43.7 hours
Sm-153 - 46.7 hours
Np-238 - 2.117 days
Pm-149 - 53.08 hours
Np-239 - 2.355 days
Hg-197 - 64.1 hours
Xe-133m - 2.188 days
Au-198 - 2.696 days
Mo-99 - 66.0 hours
In-111 - 2.83 days
Ru-97 - 2.9 days
Tl-201 - 73.06 hours
Te-132 - 78.2 hours
Ga-67 - 3.261 days
Sc-47 - 3.351 days
Ra-224 - 3.66 days
Nb-95m - 86.6 hours
Rn-222 - 3.824 days
Sb-127 - 3.85 days
Ca-47 - 4.53 days
Bi-210 - 5.012 days
Xe-133 - 5.245 days
Pm-148 - 5.37 days
Mn-52 - 5.591 days
U-237 - 6.75 days
Ag-111 - 7.45 days
I-131 - 8.04 days
Sn-125 - 9.64 days
Ac-225 - 10.0 days
Nd-147 - 10.98 days
Ra-223 - 11.434 days
Xe-131m - 11.9 days
Sb-126 - 12.4 days
Ba-140 - 12.74 days
Cs-136 - 13.1 days
P-32 - 14.29 days
Ra-225 - 14.8 days
Eu-156 - 15.19 days
V-48 - 16.238 days
Rb-86 - 18.66 days
Th-227 - 18.718 days
Th-234 - 24.10 days
Pa-233 - 27.0 days
Cr-51 - 27.704 days
Yb-169 - 32.01 days
Ce-141 - 32.50 days
Te-129m - 33.6 days
Nb-95 - 35.15 days
Ru-103 - 39.28 days
Pm-148 - 41.3 days
Fe-59 - 44.53 days
Cd-115m - 44.6 days
Hg-203 - 46.60 days
Sr-89 - 50.5 days
Be-7 - 53.44 days
Te-125m - 58 days
Y-91 - 58.51 days
I-125 - 60.14 days
Sb-124 - 60.20 days
Zr-95 - 63.98 days Zirconium is used in the cladding of the fuel rods
Y-90 - 64.0 hours
Sr-85 - 64.84 days
Co-58 - 70.8 days
Tb-160 - 72.3 days
Ir-192 - 74.02 days
W-185 - 75.1 days
Co-56 - 78.76 days
Sc-46 - 83.83 days
S-35 - 87.44 days
Te-127m - 109 days
Se-75 - 119.78 days
W-181 - 121.2 days
Sn-123 - 129.2 days
Po-210 - 138.38 days
Cm-242 - 162.8 days
Zn-65 - 243.9 days
Ag-110m - 249.9 days
Co-57 - 270.9 days
Average term of human pregnancy - 280 days
Ce-144 - 284.3 days
Sn-119m - 293.1 days
Mn-54 - 312.5 days
Ru-106 - 368.2 days
Th-228 - 1.913 years
Cs-134 - 2.062 years
Na-22 - 2.602 years
Pm-147 - 2.6234 years
Cf-252 - 2.638 years
Fe-55 - 2.7 years
Sb-125 - 2.77 years
Eu-155 - 4.96 years
Co-60 - 5.27 years
Ra-228 - 5.75 years
Eu-154 - 8.8 years
Kr-85 - 10.72 years
H-3 - 12.35 years (Tritium)
Eu-152 - 13.33 years
Cd-113m - 13.6 years
Nb-93m - 13.6 years
Cm-244 - 18.11 years
Ac-227 - 21.773 years
Pb-210 - 22.3 years
Cm-243 - 28.5 years
Sr-90 - 29.12 years
Cs-137 - 30.0 years
Time since UCC began - 54 years
U-232 - 72 years
Pu-238 - 87.74 years
Sm-151 - 90 years
Ni-63 - 96 years
Am-242m - 152 years
Am-241 - 432.2 years
Time since Luther's 95 Theses - 496 years
Ho-166m - 1,200 years
Ra-226 - 1,600 years
Time since crucifixion of Jesus - ~1980 years
Time since building of Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem - ~2968 years
Mo-93 - 3,500 years
Time since world was created (Ussher) - 6014 years
Cm-246 - 4,730 years
C-14 - 5,730 years
Pu-240 - 6537 years
Th-229 - 7,340 years
Am-243 - 7,380 years
Pu-239 - 24,065 years
Cm-245 - 8,500 years
Time since world was created (Camping) - 13,023 years
Pa-231 - 32,800 years
Se-79 - 65,000 years
Ni-59 - 75,000 years
Th-230 - 77,000 years
Sn-126 - 100,000 years
Ca-41 - 130,000 years
U-233 - 159,000 years
Tc-99 - 213,000 years
U-234 - 244,500 years
Cm-248 - 339,000 years
Pu-242 - 376,000 years
K-40 - 1,270,000,000 years
Zr-93 - 1,530,000 years Zirconium is used in the cladding of the fuel rods
Be-10 - 1,600,000 years
Np-237 - 2,140,000 years
Cs-135 - 2,300,000 years
Pd-107 - 6,500,000 years
Cm-247 - 15,600,000 years
I-129 - 15,700,000 years
U-236 - 23,400,000 years
Pu-244 - 82,600,000 years
U-235 - 703,000,000 years (fissile uranium - the isotope increased when "enriched")
Oklo nuclear reactor - 1,700,000,000 years ago
Time since life on Earth began (Science) - 3,700,000,000 years
U-238 - 4,470,000,000 years (the isotope decreased when "enriched" - isotope more present in "depleted" uranium)
Time since Earth was created (Science) - 4,540,000,000 years
Time since sun was created (Science) - 4,570,000,000 years
Time since big bang (Science) - 13,750,000,000 years
Th-232 - 14,100,000,000 years
Rb-87 - 47,000,000,000 years
Re-187 - 50,000,000,000 years
Sm-147 - 106,000,000,000 years
Gd-152 - 108,000,000,000,000 years
In-115 - 5,100,000,000,000,000 years
Stable isotopes:
Tl-205
Pb-206
Pb-207
Pb-208
Here in Joliet, IL, USA, North America, Earth, Earth Hour has arrived and our home has powered down for an hour. See you on the flip side (maybe sooner if the battery backups actually hold the network together - we'll see!)
This is a scheduled post, so it should get posted no matter what.
Earth Hour: http://www.earthhour.org/home/
This is a scheduled post, so it should get posted no matter what.
Earth Hour: http://www.earthhour.org/home/
At 8:30PM local time tonight, people all over the world are turning off their lights for an hour to support work to reduce global warming.
See http://www.earthhour.org/home/
I'm planning on opening the main breaker on the house. We'll see whether the battery-backed-up sump pump will keep up (we're getting rain and snow tonight).
See http://www.earthhour.org/home/
I'm planning on opening the main breaker on the house. We'll see whether the battery-backed-up sump pump will keep up (we're getting rain and snow tonight).
The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organization came up with a goal
of a $100 laptop computer for children in developing countries. While
they're not yet down to that price point, they have created a
surprisingly durable and waterproof low-power computer - using so
little power that it can be powered by a solar panel or a foot-driven
generator. The computer is so intriguing that a lot of people in the
West have wanted to get their hands on one.
Well, that opportunity is coming.
For two weeks this November, people in the United States of America will be allowed to spend $399 to get one of these computers, with another being sent to a child in the developing world. This is an amazing chance to give 50% and still get something very cool for your money. And the computer is so low-power, it's very "green".
It's not exactly the Widow's Mite, but it's a start.
See the full story: '$100 laptop' to sell to public [BBC]
Well, that opportunity is coming.
For two weeks this November, people in the United States of America will be allowed to spend $399 to get one of these computers, with another being sent to a child in the developing world. This is an amazing chance to give 50% and still get something very cool for your money. And the computer is so low-power, it's very "green".
It's not exactly the Widow's Mite, but it's a start.
See the full story: '$100 laptop' to sell to public [BBC]
Liberal Believer pleads "Could We Have a President With Courage Please?"
The Bible tells us we have been given stewardship of the Earth, but how are our leaders working as stewards?
Do they take the power with which they have been entrusted, and use it to return greater benefit for all? Or do they bury it in there here and now?
I suspect "protecting the current economy" is a bit more of a burial than "invest it in our planet's future". As in Jesus's Parable of the Talents, time will tell... when the master reviews how the servants have handled the master's property.
The Bible tells us we have been given stewardship of the Earth, but how are our leaders working as stewards?
Do they take the power with which they have been entrusted, and use it to return greater benefit for all? Or do they bury it in there here and now?
I suspect "protecting the current economy" is a bit more of a burial than "invest it in our planet's future". As in Jesus's Parable of the Talents, time will tell... when the master reviews how the servants have handled the master's property.
