Saturday, August 23, 2008

Nuclear Energy Generation in the Philippines

I guess it's hightime to say thank you to the organization that educated us to the importance of international cooperation and changed our perspective on the nature and utility of nuclear energy.


KOREA NUCLEAR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOUNDATION

Establishment of KONICOF
The importance and the role of nuclear energy will be ever increasing, as its characteristics of sustainability and cleanliness are distinguished from those of other energy resources.

However, because of strict international regulations imposed on the nuclear field, it is imperative that the government, instead of civilians, take an active role and provide full support for the expansion of international cooperation in nuclear energy research.

Korea, as one of the advanced counties in the field of nuclear energy, is challenged to shift from being a beneficiary to becoming the renderer and pioneer of nuclear technology.

And at the same time, there is a strong need to set up a firm foundation and strong support systems for the expansion of export in the field of nuclear energy because of the complicated procedures arising from international strictures.

The Board of Directors is composed of the heads of the following research centers: The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP), Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences (KIRAM), Director of Atomic Energy Bureau, Ministry of Science & Technology (MOST), and professors of premier universities.

KONICOF has also been in cooperation with Daejeon University and ASEAN University Network. KONICOF aims to rectify the seeming incorrigibility of unwarranted fear of, and misconceptions about, nuclear technology especially in South-east Asian nations.

Despite the "power switch" in EU countries, I still am a supporter of nuclear energy generation in the Philippines. It is a necessary step in the transition to building facilities for renewable energy.

Hampering even more the move towards NE are the stupid senators who say that nuclear energy plants could easily be transformed for WMD manufacturing. Ignorance does bite.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi, thanks for the add. I've been added your blogs on my friends list, too.

Happy weekend!!

Anonymous said...

I don't know why...but I'm still skeptical towards Nuclear Energy generation. Maybe because of the lingering terror still left by the Chernobyl tragedy...I dunno... you think we're ready for it?

Eliot said...

@ Yoogiebear a.k.a Mama Ej

With sufficient funding (technical, manpower), yes we are. The meltdown in Chernobyl, unfortunately, was due to lack of uber thick concrete walls enclosing the reactor itself. Today, engineers know better. Should there be a terrible mishap, the fall out would just be a fall in (within the concrete barrier), so to speak.

There is another pending electricity price hike this September. An additional 1 peso would be charged for every kilowatt hour consumed, meaning, if a household is paying 700.00 pesos monthly, then expect that 100.00 would be added on top of that this coming month.

Let's go nuclear first, then we go sustainable. Now, if First World countries can help us skip this stage, then it'd be better. At least we won't be producing nuke wastes at any stage of our development. But who'd invest expensive solar and wind-harnessing technologies here? I think our government should stimulate indigenous technological development as what Korea did.

Anonymous said...

Tsk tsk tsk ang sad naman huhuhuhuhu magtataas na naman ng singil sa kuryente! Uhmmm papa kaya ba passionate na passionate ka sa pagpo-promoto ng Nukes ay dahil ikaw ang nagbabayad ng electric bill niyo? wahahahh joke

Eliot said...

Hay naku Mama totoo nga! I'm the one paying for our electric bill that's why ardent kung ardent! hahaha