Lack of Common Sense in Green Energy - Electricity (Intro)

Interesting history surrounds nuclear-electricity industry. Most people know that uranium-based nuclear reactors (read: reactors that cost an arm and a leg to build/maintain, and has potential for proliferation, like Chernobyl) are the most common nuclear reactors. Most people also know that uranium used in such reactors deplete into plutonium, the core of most nuclear- weaponized devices. Many also know that plutonium and uranium have really long half-life period - until they become non-lethal/non-toxic.

What is much less known is that there is an economical, safer alternative technology that have been shunned from usage: Liquid Fluoride Thorium reactors. This thing is not only safe from a nuclear blow-out, but also costs SIGNIFICANTLY less than uranium-based reactors - to build and to maintain. What's the reason this alternative was EVER an alternative?

First off, electricity is a much needed energy type. Our computers, phones and even some cars and buildings are dependent on it. Without it, you would not be reading this post (at least in this year of 2011). Most of the world's electricity is still generated from burning fossil fuels, and while most of are happy to use it up, as much as we can afford it, the same pool of population is ignorant about what it's costing us, as a generation and as a species. So the question is: is there a "green" way to generate electricity, which makes sense both economically and environmentally?

Here are the options (not all, just the ones that come to my mind first):

1. Solar Panels
2. Wind-Turbines
3. Hydro-Turbines
4. Nuclear Reactors

Obviously, solar energy is something that most people have heard about. For those who ever drove past the hills in Souther California where the huge propeller-looking towers stand saw wind-turbines. Those of you who have ever heard about/saw the Hoover Dam are aware of what's inside the concrete behemoth - turbines that are turned by the water going through the dam, generating electricity.

Nuclear reactors have come into news-light in recent months, due to the Fukushima, Japan nuclear reactor blowing up. Some reading into the subject of nuclear reactors had me quite surprised.

The U.S. Government of the 1960's decided to support building of uranium-based reactors, in a complicated drive for the nuclear-arms race against the then-Soviet Union, although it was knowledgeable about other alternatives. Fast-forward to year 2011, and we have a world full of reactors that are expensive, and unsafe. And nuclear-arms race is pretty much over, and we are left with maintaining the expense and worrying about the dangers of nuclear proliferation in these reactor plants.

I am not saying the government made a totally wrong call back then - I'm willing to trust to the extent that certain war-scenarios called for plutonium reserves for weapon-use. But I'm left wondering why nuclear reactors that were built in the last couple of decades were based on uranium, not the aforementioned liquid-fluoride-thorium.

Anyone care to venture a guess or enlighten me on this?

History Manipulation by the Chinese Government in Asia

Who knew? I only heard about it, for the past few years.

Searching about it recently turned up many online resources, mostly from South Korea.

To be sure, I will need to confirm the original reports in Chinese, but I will transcribe from online contents I found.

As I do this from multiple online contents, there may be duplicate ideas/excerpts in my series.

Series:

1. Geographical Overview of Affected Regions in Asia - June, 2011
2. History of the China's Northeast Asian Project (CNAP for short) - TBD
3. Arguments against the CNAP's Arguments - June 2011
4. State of Significant Historical Artifacts, within China - TBD
5. Actionable for each CNAP item - TBD

Each item in the series will be progressively updated over time, as new facts and studies are available to me. Those who want to help out with this can let me know, via email or comments here-under.

Results from Repair Estimates Comparison on driverside, repairpal, ecarservices

1. repairpal.com actually found my post! they kindly replied, suggesting battery problems, etc. - as a comment to the ecarservices.com post - not the repairpal.com post.

" I'm sorry we couldn't accommodate your request with our RepairPrice Estimator. However, we here at RepairPal have looked into your problem and I'd like to ask you a few questions.

Have you tried using any of the other remotes? If so, do they work normally?
Have you tried replacing the battery?
Do the locks work properly from the inside switch?

I spoke with our Honda Expert and he says that the battery is a common source of the problem, but that the remotes can fail too."

2. ecarservices.com answered like this, on their website:

"first possiblity seems to be the remote.... if the remote locks the car then most likely the remote is at fault...need to contact dealer for approx how much...alterative is to purchase aftermarket alarm system with remote locking feature. probabaly the same price...might as well get the added security benefit."

3. driverside.com - no answer there.

so far, the online response from either RepairPal or eCarServices seems to be kind enough. no gravy on either.... just because i just wished that i could've received some kind of a price range to start thinking about.

****UPDATE****

driverside also saw my blog, and commented:

"Thanks for taking the time to sign up for our site! We're sorry that you've been unable to get a repair estimate from DriverSide for your specific problem. The best thing you can do now is post a question in the Honda Accord questions section here: http://www.driverside.com/car/honda-accord_sdn-2004-4192-0-0

If we don't know the answer (and sometimes that's the case), other Accord owners will be able to chime if they've had a similar problem.
Feel free to contact us if you need anything else. "

Finding Repair Estimate on eCarServices.com

i signed up, and went to their free estimate feature, and just like the other two, they did not have it listed.

so i tried their expert advice feature, which is named 'ask tommy', which is actually free, and i see a lot of other people got their questions answered.

i submitted my question - titled 'Remote un/lock is not working'. let's see how this goes.

the good thing is: i got to ask a question, unlike either repairpal or driverside.

the result? let's wait and see.

Finding Repair Estimate on RepairPal.com

i signed up. tried to use their free estimating feature, but just like driverside.com, they did not have it listed.

i guess what i can do is pay 9 bucks to get an expert advice on how much my remote un/lock door problem should cost to fix.

i'll try ecarservices.com - the last on my list, and if that turns out to be the same, then i guess i'll try the 9 dollar advice on repairpal.

Finding Repair Estimate on Driverside.com

well, i signed up, and then tried to find out how much fixing my remote un/lock problem on my '04 Honda Accord would cost.

unfortunately, driverside.com does not have this problem listed, and i can't find out.

so figuring out with driverside.com stops here. not too helpful.

Getting a Car Repair Help Online

My car's remote un/lock is not working.

Given this situation, I am going to test this situation against three online services, that claim to be FREE.

1. eCarServices.com
2. RepairPal.com
3. DriverSide.com
   

Let's see what those FREE online services really do for me.

If this turns out well, then it would definitely minimize going to the mechanic and getting ripped off.