[ExI] EP and Peak oil

[Richard Loosemore]

Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote:
> Lee, the world is 40 years behind where it should be on nuclear power 
> as a direct result of anti-rationalist environmentalist meddling in 
> government.

The fact that you would be so factually ignorant and irrational as to 
talk about "anti-rationalist environmentalist meddling" is a bad sign 
indeed.

Someone who is irrational is a problem.

Someone who is irrational and claims "rationalism" as the justification 
for their dogmatic beliefs is sinister.

What is even more ridiculous, for me, is that your conclusions about 
nuclear power are not, by themselves, inaccurate.  But linking that 
analysis to a statement about "anti-rationalist environmentalist 
meddling" betrays an inability to understand the system as a whole.

For example, one side effect of the nuclear resurgence now taking place 
is that the proliferation problem is quietly diversifying into new and 
terrifying directions:

http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/dn13459-disposable-nuclear-reactors-raise-security-fears.html

It is news such as this that makes it seem that those "anti-rationalist 
environmentalists" may have been correct in saying that nuclear power is 
managed so irresponsibly that, in practice, it has world-threatening 
side effects.

The issue, then, is whether nuclear power and renewable sources can be 
developed in such a tightly controlled and secure manner that the 
considerable dangers of nuclear power can be kept under control.



Richard Loosemore