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Going Nuclear by Tim Gregory review – a boosterish case for atomic energy
Going Nuclear by Tim Gregory review – a boosterish case for atomic energy

The Guardian

timea day ago

  • Business
  • The Guardian

Going Nuclear by Tim Gregory review – a boosterish case for atomic energy

There is something biblical about the fraternal relationship between the atomic bomb and the nuclear reactor. Both involve bombarding uranium-235 atoms with neutrons to produce a chain reaction via nuclear fission. Both were made possible in the same instant, at 3.25pm on 2 December 1942, when the Manhattan Project's Enrico Fermi orchestrated the first human-made chain reaction in the squash court of the University of Chicago. 'The flame of nuclear fission brought us to the forked road of promise and peril,' writes Tim Gregory. The bomb came first, of course, but atomic dread coexisted with tremendous optimism about what President Eisenhower dubbed 'atoms for peace': the potential of controlled fission to generate limitless energy. As David Lilienthal of the US Atomic Energy Commission observed, atom-splitting thus inspired a pseudo-religious binary: 'It would either destroy us all or it would bring about the millennium.' Nuclear optimism was shattered by the 1986 Chornobyl disaster but, as the subtitle of his book advertises, Gregory is determined to bring it back. A nuclear chemist at Sellafield, where the Queen opened the world's first commercial nuclear reactor in 1956, he's a cheerleader for Team Millennium. Writing in a Promethean spirit of 'rational and daring optimism', this self-proclaimed 'nuclear environmentalist' believes nuclear energy is the only viable route to net zero by 2050. 'The nucleus could power the world securely, reliably, affordably, and – crucially – sustainably,' he declares. Gregory is an excellent popular science writer: clear as a bell and gently humorous. If you want to understand the workings of fission or radioactivity, he's your man. But he is also an evangelical pitchman whose chapters on the atom's myriad wonders can read rather like high-end sales brochures. Radiation? Not a problem! Less dangerous, in fact, than radiophobia, 'the irrational fear of radiation'. High-level nuclear waste? It can be buried in impregnable catacombs like Finland's state-of-the-art Onkalo or, better yet, recycled through breeder reactors. Gregory wants the reader to learn to stop worrying and love the reactor. Of course, there is a radioactive elephant in the room, which Gregory eventually confronts in the chapter We Need to Talk About Chernobyl. Like Three Mile Island (1979) and Fukushima (2011), the Soviet disaster caused reactor construction to crash. Europe built more reactors in the five years before Chornobyl than it has in the four decades since. The Fukushima meltdown spooked Germany into dismantling its entire nuclear programme. Whereas France, which has one-eighth of the planet's 441 active reactors, currently generates two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear, Germany produces none, cancelling out its gains from renewables and making it painfully reliant on Russian gas. Gregory argues that the construction of reactors like Hinkley Point C in Somerset runs behind schedule and over budget because we've lost the habit, even as China and South Korea streak ahead. To Gregory, all this is a tragic case of radiophobia. Only around 50 fatalities have been directly attributed to radiation from Chornobyl, while the official death tolls for Fukushima and Three Mile Island are one and zero respectively. Roll them all together and the same number of people are lost roughly every three minutes to air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels. No doubt, the kneejerk rejection of nuclear energy can be ignorant bordering on superstitious, but safety concerns demand more space and consideration. Oddly, Gregory doesn't mention Serhii Plokhy's 2022 book Atoms and Ashes, which explains how the Fukushima disaster could have been much worse if not for the courage and judgment of a few key officials. More offputtingly, he attacks renewable energy with roughly the same arguments used by rightwing critics of net zero, warning of 'energy scarcity, industrial wind-down, and food insecurity' if we choose wind and sun over good old uranium-235. But surely it is not a zero-sum game? After a while, Gregory's relentless boosterism begins to lose its persuasive power and he sounds rather like the blithely confident scientist in the first act of a disaster movie. Even though I'm personally convinced that anybody focused on the climate emergency would be foolish to dismiss nuclear out of hand, I suspect that sceptics may require an argument that sounds a little less like 'Calm down, dear.' Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the World by Tim Gregory is published by Bodley Head (£25). To support the Guardian order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.

Jamie Dimon says ‘don't put a good foot forward, put the truth forward' and reveals what would get him into public service
Jamie Dimon says ‘don't put a good foot forward, put the truth forward' and reveals what would get him into public service

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Jamie Dimon says ‘don't put a good foot forward, put the truth forward' and reveals what would get him into public service

CEO Jamie Dimon was asked about leadership lessons at the end of a wide-ranging interview during the Reagan National Economic Forum on Friday. He talked about getting out, listening to people, observing, providing honest assessments, and having humility. He also explained what would lure him from the private sector to the public sector. Wall Street's longest-tenured CEO said it's better to give an honest assessment than to make the boss feel good. At the end of a wide-ranging interview during the Reagan National Economic Forum on Friday, CNBC's Morgan Brennan asked JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon about leadership lessons. The first thing he said was, 'get out, get out, get out, get out, talk to people, talk to clients. I talk to everybody.' Noting that President Dwight Eisenhower, a Republican, regularly met with Democratic leaders, Dimon also discussed the importance of hearing opposing views as well as listening to complaints and learning about rivals. 'Observe, observe, observe, and have all your people do it,' he added. 'And it's a never-ending process. Because we have competitors from around the world, and they're smart, and they're tough, and they're coming.' Then he turned to what makes companies that were once pace-setters in their respective industries fail. Dimon pointed to arrogance, greed, complacency, and bureaucracy. Companies can 'bull—t' themselves about how they're earning money and why, while executives may feel pressure to make the boss feel good and avoid embarrassing someone, he explained. 'When people say to me, put a good foot forward, I always say, don't put a good foot forward, put the truth forward, 100% the truth,' Dimon said. 'Tell us, and we will deal with it. It's OK. So a deep, honest assessment.' He also put humility and curiosity on the list of traits leaders should have, saying 'people don't want to work for jerks' and don't want to work for bosses who blame others. Meanwhile, CEO succession at the world's biggest bank by market cap has been an ongoing parlor game on Wall Street, and Dimon recently reaffirmed that he is stepping down sometime in the next two to four years. But at the still relatively young age of 69, there has been widespread speculation that he might have a second act in the government, either in elected office or an appointed role. Earlier this year, he even admitted that he considered running for president of the United States, but decided against it because didn't want to spend so much time away from his family. And while running for re-election last summer, Donald Trump suggested he might consider Dimon for Treasury secretary, though he later ruled him out. On Friday, Dimon was asked what it would take for him to enter public service. His answer hinted at some humility. 'Alright, ready? I'll tell you: if I thought I could really win, which I don't think I could,' he said. This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Eisenhower's secret message announcing WWII victory in Europe up for auction
Eisenhower's secret message announcing WWII victory in Europe up for auction

Miami Herald

time4 days ago

  • Politics
  • Miami Herald

Eisenhower's secret message announcing WWII victory in Europe up for auction

By Ben Barry President Dwight D. Eisenhower's top secret message announcing victory in Europe is set to fetch $30k at auction - alongside with other WWII artifacts. The sale - run by RR Auction - will take place on June 11, 2025. The top secret document signed by President Eisenhower, announcing allied victory in Europe, is expected to fetch $30k plus. Another document, written by President Eisenhower on June 13, 1944, stated he was looking forward to the "destruction of the Nazi military machine". The surrender negotiation document, signed by Reich President Karl Donitz and presented to allies by Col, Gen. Alfred Jodi, is expected to fetch more than $100k. Speaking about the historic documents, Bobby Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction, said: "The Dönitz authorization represents one of history's most dramatic ideological reversals. "With Hitler dead, the Nazi 'fight to the last man' mentality-where every German was expected to die rather than surrender-was completely abandoned. "These generals suddenly faced an entirely different mission: save as many German lives as possible by negotiating time for millions to flee from the Eastern Front to Western lines. "While Eisenhower firmly rejected their request and demanded immediate surrender, the delay in announcing the capitulation created the crucial window that saved 1.5 million people. "This document captures that extraordinary transformation-from a regime demanding mass death to leaders desperately trying to preserve life." The post Eisenhower's secret message announcing WWII victory in Europe up for auction appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.

Trump unleashes US nuclear renaissance with bold executive orders
Trump unleashes US nuclear renaissance with bold executive orders

Fox News

time24-05-2025

  • Politics
  • Fox News

Trump unleashes US nuclear renaissance with bold executive orders

In his famed 1953 "Atoms for Peace" speech, President Eisenhower proclaimed that "the United States knows that peaceful power from atomic energy is no dream of the future." That dream was soon realized, as America built more than one hundred reactors over the next twenty-five years. But today, the promise of nuclear energy and innovation does indeed seem like a dream of the future. Through a series of executive orders signed this week, President Trump is taking action to usher in an American nuclear renaissance. For the first time in many years, America has a path forward for quickly and safely testing advanced nuclear reactor designs, constructing new nuclear reactors at scale, and building a strong domestic nuclear industrial base. Our stagnation was not for a lack of ingenuity or desire to innovate among America's great scientists and technologists. By the end of the 1970s, dozens of nuclear reactors were planned or under construction. In the past 30 years, however, only three commercial nuclear reactors have been built, and many more have been shuttered. We know America can accomplish great feats in nuclear energy, so what happened? In the wake of the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, public opinion began to sour on nuclear energy, and the effects of a decade of new federal bureaucracies began to set in. Overly burdensome regulations stifled our ability to even test, let alone deploy, new nuclear technologies. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) set the gold standard for safety regulation when it was established in 1975, but it soon transformed into a lead curtain for innovation. Onerous environmental requirements and long, uncertain regulatory timelines have killed industry's willingness to fund new technologies. Similarly, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Energy's (DOE) National Labs—which once led the world in the development and demonstration of advanced nuclear technologies—shuttered nuclear development programs, shifting focus to other priorities. All but three of fifty-two reactors at Idaho National Laboratory have been decommissioned, and it has been almost half a century since the Army Nuclear Power Program was shut down. These decisions eroded our domestic nuclear supply chain, undermined our national security, and left us having to relearn what we once pioneered. President Trump wisely recognizes that the time is ripe for an American nuclear renaissance and is acting to deliver on the promise of nuclear energy for the American people. Across the country, American entrepreneurs and engineers are launching a new generation of nuclear companies featuring innovative reactor designs and scalable manufacturing techniques that can make nuclear safe, efficient, and economic. The Trump Administration will clear their path by dismantling outdated barriers that previous administrations had put up in their way. Today, nuclear power plants provide approximately 19% of the electricity generated in the United States, more than solar and wind combined. That is reliable and affordable electricity for the American people, and it could and should be even more. Today, nuclear power plants provide approximately 19% of the electricity generated in the United States, more than solar and wind combined. That is reliable and affordable electricity for the American people, and it could and should be even more. The Trump Administration is setting the goal of expanding American nuclear energy capacity from 100 GW today to 400 GW by 2050. This week's executive actions will help us reach that goal in four ways. First, we are going to fully leverage our DOE national laboratories to increase the speed with which we test new nuclear reactor designs. There is a big difference between a paper reactor and a practical reactor. The only way to bridge that gap—understanding the challenges that must be surmounted to bring reactors to the market, and building public trust in their deployment—is to test and evaluate demonstration reactors. Second, for our national and economic security, we are going to leverage the Departments of Defense and Energy to build nuclear reactors on federally owned land. This will support critical national security needs which require reliable, high-density power sources that are invulnerable to external threats or grid failures. Third, to lower regulatory burdens and shorten licensing timelines, we are asking the NRC to undergo broad cultural change and regulatory reform, requiring a decision on a reactor license to be issued within 18 months. This will reduce regulatory uncertainty while maintaining nuclear safety. We will also reconsider the use of radiation limits that are not science based, impossible to achieve, and do not increase the safety of the American people. Fourth, we will be supporting our domestic nuclear industrial base across the nuclear fuel cycle. The President has called for industry to start mining and enriching uranium in America again, as well as an expansion of domestic uranium conversion capacity as well as enrichment capabilities to meet projected civilian and defense reactor needs. When President Eisenhower spoke about nuclear potential over 70 years ago, he expressed no doubt that the world's best scientists and engineers, if empowered to "test and develop their ideas," could turn nuclear energy into a "universal, efficient, and economic" source of power. In 2025, we have only to believe in American technologists, and give them the chance to build, to turn nuclear power into energy dominance and national security for all.

The Key to the Allies' Success
The Key to the Allies' Success

Wall Street Journal

time23-05-2025

  • Politics
  • Wall Street Journal

The Key to the Allies' Success

Marc Milner notes in 'Second Front' that the Anglo-American alliances in the two world wars functioned despite animosities ('The Allies on the Mend,' Bookshelf, May 19). What underlay that success was the prescient observation of Otto von Bismarck, the Iron Chancellor of Germany, who is reported to have said that the greatest strategic fact of the 20th century was that the Americans spoke English. After World War I, Hitler identified the natural affinity of the Anglo-Americans as Germany's greatest threat. That common language came to serve the cause of freedom well. Yet both sides couldn't resist irritating each other. At the end of the first war, Americans said that the BEF—British Expeditionary Force—stood for the fact that the Americans arrived 'Before England Failed.' The Brits in return said that the American Expeditionary Force, AEF, arrived so late in the war that it meant 'Almost Evaded Fighting.' Eisenhower wouldn't tolerate that sniping in the next war. He demoted an outspoken American critic of the British and sent him home. In all of the joint staffs with a senior and deputy, one had to be American and the other British. It's doubtful any other man could have made the alliance work better.

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