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Seyran
Another great article, Dmitry. How is the birth rate situation in RF? Anything being done to incentivize people to making more children?
EEV
Where can I learn more about Russia solving the nuclear waste problem? This hasn't really been covered by western media, I can't imagine why.
Dmitry Orlov
EEV, I'll write about it. Very briefly, there are 3 parts to it:
1. Russia has perfected the fast neutron breeder reactor which turns depleted uranium to plutonium, making huge stockpiles of depleted uranium available as fuel. It also burns high-level nuclear waste to low-level waste that can be disposed of safely
2. Russia has perfected spent fuel reprocessing and MOX fuel manufacturing which includes plutonium made in breeder reactors. A recent breakthrough is the use of more highly enriched fuel that only needs to be replaced every two years instead of 12-18 months.
3. Russia has perfected the VVER series reactors which include safety features such as meltdown catchment and hydrogen absorber and is building them all over the world. Russia owns 75% of the world's nuclear reactor portfolio.
1. Russia has perfected the fast neutron breeder reactor which turns depleted uranium to plutonium, making huge stockpiles of depleted uranium available as fuel. It also burns high-level nuclear waste to low-level waste that can be disposed of safely
2. Russia has perfected spent fuel reprocessing and MOX fuel manufacturing which includes plutonium made in breeder reactors. A recent breakthrough is the use of more highly enriched fuel that only needs to be replaced every two years instead of 12-18 months.
3. Russia has perfected the VVER series reactors which include safety features such as meltdown catchment and hydrogen absorber and is building them all over the world. Russia owns 75% of the world's nuclear reactor portfolio.
Amazing. Thank you. I think about all the nuclear waste sites scattered throughout the US with no real long term strategy. I'm sure if we had friendly relations the Russians would be all to happy to help.
Dmitry OrlovReplying to EEV
EEV, don't worry, nuclear waste is forever. A time will come when the Russians will charge good money to take it away and then charge good money again for it after reprocessing it back into fuel.
Dmitry Orlov, 😂 Of course! I wonder if we'll be paying in greenbacks or some kind of barter system.
RedShift
"Once the lights go out, they will no longer know how to boil water." Or will run out of books and furniture to burn.
RedShift
No "solar generator" system has been shown to return more energy than required to fully manufacture it. Same with wind. Otherwise, a solar plant would run one hundred percent on solar produced power.
NLB
"Liberal democracy " is just the continuation of western European imperialism (the US power is genealogically western european). XXI will see the end of 500 years of European colonialism.
Charles Dewolff
Was Jesus born in the Year Zero?
How else would you get to a quarter century after 24 years.
Steven Trigg
Excellent summary, the banquet of consequences is being served to the combined west. The west's reliance on services accelerated as financialisation hollowed out industry, all the while there was a process of population replacement; these were economic migrants and as prospects fade I'm wondering if these same people won't up and leave returning to their former homelands...Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Africa, etc.
Jean-Christophe S.
Excellent, Dmitry! Not sure the us won’t be back on track, thanks to the new populist-tech alliance that put Trump in power (everything works in cycles, and a us rebound is possible), but your other predictions are unfortunately very probable, especially for the poor Europe. I really liked your Ia prediction :-) Thanks for all your insights and have a great year :-)