Posted by SONE on 7 February 2020 in Newsletters
On 8 January at the suggestion of SONE member, Malcolm Savidge, the Cirencester Science and Technology Society hosted a lecture on “Nature, Nuclear Energy and Life”. On 25 January SONE members attended an open “Stargazing” event hosted by the Oxford Physics Department.
Posted by SONE on 23 January 2020 in Newsletters
Some cuttings from the daily press by James Lovelock and Sir Bernard Ingham. “A Message for Society from Science” published in Oxford at the end of 2019 by Wade Allison. News of bizarre political decisions that will lead to self-harm by EU. A discussion on synthetic fuels with Christopher Cockcroft.
Posted by SONE on 29 November 2019 in Newsletters
All General Election candidates have received an open letter organised by the Nuclear Industry Association and signed by many familiar names. You can read it by clicking here. Though it reads well, it lets the “renewables” off too lightly, I argue.
Posted by SONE on 4 November 2019 in Newsletters
It had been our intention to issue a Press Release at the time of the Annual General Meeting, urging the Government to increase investment in nuclear power.
Posted by SONE on 30 September 2019 in Newsletters
It’s twenty years since SONE was formed to promote civil nuclear power in the UK. It is time to review how the UK has fared during that time in its commitment to nuclear energy.
Posted by SONE on 10 July 2019 in Newsletters
26th July 2019 is the 100th Birthday of James Lovelock CH CBE FRS, Patron of SONE, Lovelock is the doyen of the broad scientific study of the environment and its future including the part that nuclear energy should play. In the 1970s he developed the Gaia Theory, a description of the two-way dynamic relationship between life and its environment.
Posted by SONE on 29 May 2019 in Newsletters
The website for the Moltex Molten Salt Reactor is offering an investment opportunity open during May and June. I understand that this offer is well subscribed and any SONE member who is interested may have to act quickly to avoid disappointment. (This is not a recommendation, but SONE will alert members whenever such a new opportunity to support nuclear energy initiatives in the UK comes to our attention.)
Posted by SONE on 22 May 2019 in Newsletters
A resolution to cease carbon emissions, as passed by Parliament with great fanfare, achieves nothing unless a thought-out plan follows. The solution should come from advances in science and technology, everyone supposes. These two, science and technology, get conflated by commentators who would benefit from studying the difference.
Posted by SONE on 23 April 2019 in Newsletters
A Good News Month – mostly There have been a few seminal moments in industrial history when a whole new vision of the future appeare. I think of Brunel’s Great Britain, Stephenson’s Rocket and the repeal of the Red Flag Act in 1896 when a new more realistic idea of safety on the roads allowed an avalanche of new development to begin.
Posted by Wade Allison on 15 March 2019 in Newsletters
Energy, life and the environment renewables, fossil fuel and nuclear. To most creatures energy means food and warmth. Squirrels may hedge against changing conditions by simply hoarding nuts, but early humans expanded their interest in energy as they learnt to use fire, power mills and sail ships.
Posted by Wade Allison on 15 February 2019 in Newsletters
Notices: You can help spread information about the benefits of nuclear energy by asking for a talk. Any audience: educational, political or general interest. Email the secretary to fix an occasion.
Posted by Wade Allison on 22 January 2019 in Newsletters
A time to look forward – the future for nuclear. We live in exciting times, and I mean that in a positive sense. The benefit of new nuclear is evident from the large plants now coming online in China. The future for the UK is fraught with major financial and political hurdles but the investment has to be made if the UK is to thrive.
Posted by Wade Allison on 14 December 2018 in Newsletters
The future prospects for successful energy production are crystal clear, unlike other matters that face nations today. The only feasible solution is nuclear deployed on a grand scale, although there is a healthily wide choice of actual designs to choose from.
Posted by SONE on 19 November 2018 in Newsletters
Alan Woods described the ideas behind the 440 MWe small reactor that the consortium lead by Rolls Royce has proposed to the UK Government. Unlike many of the other designs that are jostling for attention and support around the world, including the UK, it is based on standard PWR (Pressurised Water Reactor) technology with standard fuel.
Posted by SONE on 3 October 2018 in Newsletters
The drought this summer has kept the issue of global warming and carbon emissions in the public eye.
Posted by Wade Allison on 6 August 2018 in Newsletters
Though unseen by most people these are responsible for a significant fraction of the world’s emissions of CO2, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur.