Innovative solutions for yesterdays problems
Posted 02-08-2009 at 06:50 AM by EnglishPaul
I read today that the former flagship French aircraft carrier is sailing into Teeside to be dismantled having been turned away from other countries for being too toxic.
In Teeside it will join 4 US navy warships that were too toxic for other countries to want to dismantle.
All this reminded me of a trip I did as a kid to Sellafield. They were intending to set up a centre to take all the high grade nuclear waste that other countries didn't want.
Well, I don't know if this came to anything. (I do know that the rest of our nuclear industry research is so run down that any new generation of UK reactor will be French designed and built).
It seems that Britain has found quite a niche in solving the disposal problems that yesterday's industry has created. And perhaps this is an enormous growth industry. Because industrial developments always produce unwanted consequences whether it be asbestos that is impossible to burn and deadly to breath; or plastics that are versatile materials, but will remain for ever; or fertilisers that increase hormone levels in our rivers.
In Teeside it will join 4 US navy warships that were too toxic for other countries to want to dismantle.
All this reminded me of a trip I did as a kid to Sellafield. They were intending to set up a centre to take all the high grade nuclear waste that other countries didn't want.
Well, I don't know if this came to anything. (I do know that the rest of our nuclear industry research is so run down that any new generation of UK reactor will be French designed and built).
It seems that Britain has found quite a niche in solving the disposal problems that yesterday's industry has created. And perhaps this is an enormous growth industry. Because industrial developments always produce unwanted consequences whether it be asbestos that is impossible to burn and deadly to breath; or plastics that are versatile materials, but will remain for ever; or fertilisers that increase hormone levels in our rivers.
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