Word: plutonium
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...energy shortage. Not so. Apparently frightened about the possibility of reactor byproducts falling into the hands of irresponsible governments or bomb-building terrorists, Carter has already chopped $200 million from Ford's leftover budget for the development of advanced breeder reactors, which produce bomb-grade plutonium even as they produce energy. The Schlesinger program will call for a modest acceleration in the building of present fission reactors and will place great emphasis on safety precautions. But it will also call for a standardized design intended to speed construction. Owing to a maze of regulations and community misgivings...
Meyer said he supported increased funding for the construction of "light-water" nuclear reactors and for the development of an efficient breeder reactor. Breeder reactors consume uranium and produce plutonium, which can then fuel other nuclear reactors...
Some scientists have expressed fears that the plutonium could be stolen by terrorists and used to build a nuclear weapon...
...Both Carter and Schlesinger (a former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, among his other credits) agree that nuclear power is too expensive and too vulnerable on the safety issue. In his budget, Carter has cut $200 million from the fast-breeder reactor program. One reason: such reactors produce plutonium, which can be used by any nation -friend or foe-to make atomic bombs...
...Europe, Canada, Mexico and Japan. I would move aggressively to stop the proliferation of atomic weapons. I have proposed, in definitive terms I believe, in speeches at the United Nations and subsequent events, eleven different things that ought to be done to hold down just a peaceful proliferation of plutonium and other atomic wastes, with a moratorium on the testing of all nuclear devices and with a prohibition against the sale of atomic fuel to countries that don't agree to prevent changing their waste into atomic explosives...