did you know?

Again, reading the NY Times, I stumbled upon another interesting fact that I thought deserved some attention. Did you know that during this period of nuclear disarmament, we are dismantling Soviet nuclear weapons and using the material to generate electricity via our nuclear power plants? Uranium used in generating electricity is enriched to less than 5 percent. Isotopes in nuclear weapons are enriched to about 90 percent. Currently 10 percent of the electricity in the United States is generated via this source. In comparison, hydropower generates 6 percent and solar, biomass, wind and geothermal together account for 3 percent.

Evidently utility companies have avoided publicizing this for fear of spooking consumers. Russian bomb materials account for 45 percent of the fuel in American nuclear reactors. This program is set to expire in 2013. Utilities are hopeful that a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (which expires on December 5th) will prove successful to continue the flow of nuclear material. One man's garbage is another man's treasure . . .