Crosspost: Mexico to revive mothballed nuclear power program

[Dead_Parrot]

Lookee here... http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2168839

They've also found lots of Oil: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2168048&mesg_id=2168048

$50 says Bush* invades to liberate them from something or other in the next two years.

[NNadir]

1. Now this is a surprise...

It's becoming a stampede, no?

[phantom power]

2. A stampede in slow motion.

Like my mom says: "And we're off--like a herd of turtles!"

[Dead_Parrot]

3. Yeah, it's a painfully slow process

At this rate, we'll be off fossil fuels by the mid 24th century.

[NNadir]

4. One way or the other, we'll be off them way before then.

Some ways we could get off them are none to pleasant, but we will be off them, just like every junkie one day stops taking heroin.

[Dead_Parrot]

5. It the damage we can do in the meantime

that I find most troubling. For instance, put 2048 down on your calendar - that's when Antartica's enviromental protection treaty runs out. And there's a shitload of stuff under that ice, if we're still in a position to get to it...

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Is that feasible?

The ice covering Antarctica is, what, 4-5 km thick? They only just drilled down to Lake Vostok.

I'm somewhat behind on my reading in engineering (I couldn't even make it through "Metallurgy for Dummies"). How tough is it to bore through three miles of ice, then two or three more miles of rock? Can it be done economically?

--p!

[Dead_Parrot]

8. I don't want to find out

But my guess is yes. Let's face it, if it's worth drilling through a mile of rock to get to oil at $10/barrel, you could drill a hell of a long way to get to $100/barrel oil.

So long as the ice lasts longer than our addiction. Otherwise I'd fully expect to strip-mining for coal and liquifaction plants all over the place. :(

[NNadir]

7. Yes, we have already done a lot of damage and will do more.