Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear power has so many benefits that some people block out all the positive aspects of having clean power, cost effective, closely monitored, people that works at power plants are experts in their field and training is continually being given to increase their skills. When learning about nuclear power people may ask how does it really work?  How do I know that the power plant is being monitored and that inspections are done to prevent accidents? Are there other clean energy sources that would be less expensive and less dangerous? How do the power plants dispose of waste, and am I safe if I live near a power plant? Those are all very important questions when trying to decide if nuclear power plants are safe, or am I putting myself and family at risk?

Clean Power

·         It's clean – with virtually no emissions – which helps keep the air clean, preserve the Earth's climate, avoid ground-level ozone formation and prevent acid rain (FPL, 2010).

·         It is efficient and cost-effective because of stable fuel prices, high plant performance and modernized plants (FPL, 2010).

·         FPL's nuclear power plants are also a clean energy resource. Since nuclear power plants do not burn fossil fuel, there are virtually no air emissions, such as greenhouse gases, that may contribute to global warming (FPL, 2010).

Clean power is important because we do not want to add to the pollution problems that we already have and nuclear power can be provide us with electricity that does not emit particle pollution.

Cost Effective

Look at it this way: More than 600 coal-fired electric plants in the United States produce 36 percent of U.S. emissions -- or nearly 10 percent of global emissions -- of CO2, the primary greenhouse gas responsible for climate change (Moore, 2006). Nuclear energy is the only large-scale, cost-effective energy source that can reduce these emissions while continuing to satisfy a growing demand for power. And these days it can do so safely (Moore, 2006). Patrick Moore was one of the founders of Greenpeace and in his article Going Nuclear: A Green Makes the Case it seems like the United States has some catching up to do with Europe.

Closely Monitored

The Florida Power & Light offers information on their website that will allow residents who live near a power plant a sigh of relief because monitoring is done and is regulated by The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (FPL, 2010). This is a federal government agency, monitors our operations closely and daily inspections are conducted on-site at all of our nuclear plants to ensure compliance with federal regulations on public health, safety and the environment (FPL, 2010).

Experts in Their Field

FPL's nuclear power plant employees are highly trained professionals who are dedicated to ensuring safety and reliability in every aspect of their work. Plant employees receive some of the most rigorous training of any industry. Plant personnel participate in training programs that are accredited by the National Academy for Nuclear Training (FPL, 2010).

Training is thorough and ongoing. For example, plant operators

• Have initial training of about 14 months, including classroom study, and
• Continue training one week out of every six throughout their career (FPL, 2010).

Experienced, well-trained employees are the plant's best safety guardians and understand that safety is their primary responsibility. Most employees live in the surrounding communities and are dedicated to ensuring safe, reliable operations for their families, friends and neighbors.

• Highly skilled in operating our plants with specialized training, including emergency response and are dedicated public health and safety officials (FPL, 2010).
• FPL's nuclear power plant employees are highly trained professionals who are dedicated to ensuring safety and reliability in every aspect of their work. Plant employees receive some of the most rigorous training of any industry. Plant personnel participate in training programs that are accredited by the National Academy for Nuclear Training (FPL, 2010)

With all that training most have backgrounds in engineering, sciences, use of electricity, and in most positions they have to pass tests that are granted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010).

How does it Work?

Now that we have learned about the benefits of using nuclear power we will also learn how does nuclear power work?  First, tiny parts of the uranium, known as atoms, are made to split, or fission. Next, during fission, even smaller particles of the atom, called neutrons, are released. Last, the neutrons strike more uranium atoms, resulting in the release of heat needed to generate electricity (FPL, 2010).

Chornobyl

Now that we know how they work we must talk about some of the concerns people have about Nuclear Power. Karen Charman in her article, “Is It time to Revive Nuclear Power,” spoke up the horrible accident in Chornobyl and how the Russian government tried to cover up the medical problems of the accident (Easton, p. 230, 2009). She starts off by trying to scare people into believing her point of view and although she makes a good point about what the possible dangers was in the past that was twenty four years ago. Technology has changed and the United States has stricter rules than any foreign country who would lead people to believe nothing really bad happened it was just an accident. “Historian and Chornobyl expert David Marples wrote that authorities in the former Soviet Union classified all medical information related to the accident while denying that illnesses among cleanup workers resulted from their radiation exposure (Easton, p. 230, 2009).” The relationship between Chornobyl and current use of nuclear power in The United States does not match each other because technology has changed and there are strict regulations that are in place so accidents like Chornobyl will never happen again.

Three Mile Island

 An excerpt from the article, “Going Nuclear”, Patrick Moore who was one of the founders of Greenpeace had this to say about Three Mile Island. What nobody noticed at the time, though, was that Three Mile Island was in fact a success story: The concrete containment structure did just what it was designed to do -- prevent radiation from escaping into the environment. And although the reactor itself was crippled, there was no injury or death among nuclear workers or nearby residents. Three Mile Island was the only serious accident in the history of nuclear energy generation in the United States, but it was enough to scare us away from further developing the technology: There hasn't been a nuclear plant ordered up since then (Moore, 2006).

Big Difference

In another excerpt from, “Going Nuclear”, Moore also talks about the difference between Chornobyl and Three Mile Island and compare nuclear power working conditions are safer than the coal mine workers.  In his own words, “This early model of Soviet reactor had no containment vessel, was an inherently bad design and its operators literally blew it up. The multi-agency U.N. Chernobyl Forum reported last year that 56 deaths could be directly attributed to the accident, most of those from radiation or burns suffered while fighting the fire (Moore, 2006)”. Tragic as those deaths were, they pale in comparison to the more than 5,000 coal-mining deaths that occur worldwide every year. No one has died of a radiation-related accident in the history of the U.S. civilian nuclear reactor program. And although hundreds of uranium mine workers did die from radiation exposure underground in the early years of that industry, that problem was long ago corrected (Moore, 2006).

Worker Safety

According to an article written by Christine Todd Whitman called, “The Case for Nuclear Power Is as Strong as Ever,” with the research she has done that worker in the nuclear power industry is much safer than in other industrial jobs. Here is an excerpt for her article which was published on August 2, 2010: worker safety in nuclear plants stands above any other American industrial sector, as measured by lost-time accidents. The nuclear power industry has devoted significant resources to continuously improving the safety and reliability of our nuclear power facilities against all manner of potential risks and threats with the result that, for more than 30 years, nuclear plants have delivered about 20 percent of America's electrical power safely and securely, without major incident (Whitman, 2010).

Storage Units

There are two types of storage units that are used and they are fuel rod storage pools and dry cask storage containers and these can be stored at the power plant until a long term solution can be agreed upon. Politicians do not want waste in their backyard and even the proposed site at Yucca has come with some setbacks and is closing soon and laying off workers. On the website Oracle Think Quest, students have done a project to explain how waste is currently being stored and here is an excerpt from their research along with a few pictures. When the spent fuel rods are removed from the reactor core, they are extremely hot and must be cooled down. Most nuclear power plants have a temporary storage pool next to the reactor. The spent rods are placed in the pool, where they can cool down. The pool is not filled with ordinary water but with boric acid, which helps to absorb some of the radiation given off by the radioactive nuclei inside the spent rods. The spent fuel rods are supposed to stay in the pool for only about 6 months, but, because there is no permanent storage site, they often stay there for years (Oracle Think Quest, 2010).  The other method of temporary storage is now used because of the overcrowding of pools. This is called dry storage (as opposed to "wet" storage which we outlined above). Basically, this entails taking the waste and putting it in reinforced casks or entombing it in concrete bunkers. This is after the waste has already spent about 5 years cooling in a pool. The casks are also usually located close to the reactor site (Oracle Think Quest, 2010).

Terrorist Attacks

FPL has a strong security program to provide protection for its employees and the public. Our plans have always been designed to counter the threat of terrorist attacks. Security programs are continually assessed in consultation with all levels of law enforcement to provide for modifications as conditions may change (FPL, 2010).

Our security plans include:

• Armed security forces that conduct security drills regularly with challenging scenarios
• Well-trained and highly qualified security officers
• Close communication with local, state and federal agencies, including the FBI, to ensure extensive security measures are in place to protect the plants, our employees and the public
• Thorough background investigations and personnel evaluations, as well as highly restricted plant access involving personnel screening and entry check points
• Security measures that stop intruders, including physical barrier systems, such as concrete barriers and crash resistant gates, high-tech intrusion detection and alarm systems (FPL, 2010).

Sturdy Design and Construction

Buildings that contain nuclear fuel and safety equipment are designed and constructed to be heavily fortified. The buildings are capable of withstanding severe impacts from natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, and provide protection from other events, such as potential impacts from jet aircraft.

Other building safety features include:

• Steel-reinforced concrete walls several feet thick for structures containing nuclear fuel and safety-related systems 
• A steel-lined pool with back-up cooling water sources for used fuel storage and
• Multiple and redundant safety systems that protect the reactor containment and used fuel buildings.

Nuclear power plants are not capable of a nuclear explosion. The concentration of uranium fuel is simply too low and is designed for power production (FPL, 2010).

The above statements can be found at the Florida Power & Light website and for anyone who is nervous about being near or just are unaware of the benefits to nuclear power than what a relief it is to know some much about the safety factors, the construction of the buildings and the security measures that are taken by the power plant exceed that of other industries. Education is a huge part of the FPL because their website is very extensive and they supply those facts for anyone who is a customer or is interested in learning about nuclear power.

Sustainability

Nuclear power will be sustainable for not only as a source of energy but for producing more jobs for Americans when this is a time of huge economic crisis. With the more “Clean”, “Green”, jobs that can be produced nuclear power can make a huge impact on the way we heat our homes. Let me remind you that, nuclear energy is the only electricity source that can generate electricity 24/7 reliably, efficiently and with no greenhouse-gas emissions (Nuclear Energy Institute, 2010). So with the combined benefits for jobs we will be catching up with our European neighbors who have already have moved into the world of nuclear power, and we will be able to learn from their example. We know of the risks that can happen with the use of nuclear power but we also know the realities of it as well. Talking about the pro’s and cons with friends and family is important especially if one lives near a power plant. Each power plant has a communications director and contacting the plant or going to that companies website will further the education process and fears and concerns will be released with facts and figures.

References

Bureau of labor statistics: power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers. (2010, August 8). Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos227.htm

Easton, T. (2009). Taking sides. Boston: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

FPL: Safety and security. (2010, August 8). Retrieved from http://www.fpl.com/environment/nuclear/security.shtml

Moore, P. (2006, April 16). The Washington post, going nuclear: a green makes the case. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041401209.html

NEI: Nuclear power plants. (2010, August 8). Retrieved from http://www.nei.org/keyissues/newnuclearplants/

Oracle think quest: nuclear waste storage. (2010, August 8). Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/17940/texts/nuclear_waste_storage/nuclear_waste_storage.html

Whitman, C. (2010, August 2). The Case for nuclear power is as strong as ever.. Retrieved from http://www.energytribune.com/articles.cfm/4839/The-Case-for-Nuclear-Power-Is-as-Strong-as-Ever

                                                         

Media Communication

Media Communication

This author has chosen three websites that are very interesting and will make anyone who is a cycling fan, fitness clothing enthusiast, and a historical romance reader want to pay attention because each site caters to their intended audience. Website design is important because first of all we want a presentation of information that is pleasing to look at and easy to find. People will be influenced to spend money if they feel that the product interests them and most people want to check out what they are getting before they actually buy something. On-line shopping is huge and sometimes people make purchases over the phone or from their computer and others may want to go to the shop so they can feel the product in their hands. Gus Bike’s, Athleta and Julia Quinn have websites that have kept this author wishing she had more money because each on these sites has a sense of style that must be had.

Gus Bike’s is my favorite bike shop, their website caters to all levels of cyclists from beginners to the most experienced recreational riders and even people who compete in racing events. The website gives listings of group rides and explains the type of skill level that is needed for each ride because it is important for riders to not get dropped from a ride. The website gives detailed information about their products such as Felt Bikes, which is one of their leading brands and the shop is hosting a demo session with Felt soon. That means that Felt will come to the shop and allow customers to test ride their newest line of bikes, and hopefully the shop will gain sales from people who are looking to upgrade. Each year people want to get lighter equipment for their bikes, new cycling jerseys, helmets, and gloves and coming to a family style store is important. The store caters to women, and Leslie the owner has picked out a fabulous line of women’s clothing which other shops in the area have little selection of. This shop boasts about their excellent repair service department and will help people on the spot if they roll into the store with a flat tire. After visiting the website and knowing the owners who run the shop help make this cyclist know where to shop without a doubt because Gus Bike’s is truly the best shop this author knows. http://gusbike.com/

Everyday this author gets an email alert from a clothing company called Athleta and most of the time this author just clicks off and deletes this alert. This is a women’s athletic clothing company that is affiliated with Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic. The materials used to make their products contain spandex, are form fitting, has moisture wicking material, and are breathable so that when one is doing their crunches the clothing will not feel tight around the waist. The most important part of going to the gym is looking and feeling good about your appearance and having comfortable workout clothes will help create a positive body image. The patterns on the clothing listed on the Athleta website come in many colors and styles and based on the preferred sport one can find clothing that fit their needs. One may want to wear something different based on the sport they participate in and Yoga, Running, and working out at the gym may require different clothes. The clothes are moderately priced and compare with other lines out there for athletic wear, and some styles may be a little less expensive because it is not backed by companies like Reebok or Nike. This site will appeal to women who want to be fashionable at the gym and not frumpy because anybody can throw on a t-shirt and sweet pants and feel lousy.

http://athleta.gap.com/browse/division.do?cid=46692

Julia Quinn is this author’s favorite historical romance fiction writer and one visit to her website will make the most avid reader want to read her books. One of her recent books called “Ten Things I Love About You,” has the most romantic and humorous video that tells a little bit about her new book. This is defiantly a teaser, and if this author had not grabbed the book before seeing the video this author would be right down at the store. Most men in her books are made out to have reputations for being a rake and the readers hear all the grunts, and groans and the agony of the realization that there may in fact just be one woman for them. The woman must remain innocent until they are married, but sadly in her books that just almost never happens, and there are a lot of secret meetings that hopefully go unnoticed by society. When visiting her website the reader will want to check out the latest information about her new books coming out, and to see if she has added books about the Bridgertons. A family tree lists the characters of each book that Julia Quinn has written about the Bridgertons who are a family of eight who sometimes do not follow society’s rules. This website has kept this author so up to date about new books to read that this author has to check in every few weeks in hopes of new books by Julia Quinn.

http://www.juliaquinn.com/books/tree.htm

When determining which media communication types this author would choose to share it took a little while because this author wanted to do something different. This author chose to find three websites that helped to combines her interests of cycling, fitness clothing for going to the gym and historical romance books because in this authors down time she needs a little romance. Each of these websites has different audiences and each does a wonderful job at pulling in the cyclist, the gym fashionista and be still my beating heart the historical romance readers. Because the websites are so alluring one will want to pass this along to their friends which can easily be done with a quick email. With each of the sites the graphics are arranged so that one feels like they are in a shop, moments away from purchasing the perfect gym outfit or an online bookstore. People want to know what they are getting before they head out to the store, and having a great website will only make people want to come in for a visit. The designers of these websites predict what their audience wants and even posts a section for helpful tips or a way to contact them. Knowing how to market products to the right audience is one of the most important parts of marketing communications, and whether on-line or in person a soft sales pitch is all one needs to help influence their decisions.  

Choosing the Right Graphics is Important

Graphics are very important because when I am looking for information I want to have something pleasing to look at. I found an awesome website called Visit NH and a beautiful picture of the ocean can be found on their web page. On the bottom are little boxes that describe what can be found by clicking on the box and as you move the arrow key the box will move as well. How cool is that? Anything you want to know it just clicks away and there are lists of event calendars and attractions that tourists might want to do or visit. The picture on the main backdrop page will change and whoever worked on this website really has thought about design, layout, the target audience, and how to get tourists to visit NH.  http://www.visitnh.gov/

Graphics can change across media depending on who the target audience is, if you are marketing to rock and rollers than black or red may be used in the background. If you are placing a commercial on TV for a new G rated movie than pinks, purple, blue and yellows will probably be shown because they are happy colors. If the President is speaking in a press conference he may wear a red tie because it shows strengths and importance. Colors in graphics will attract people to what is being sold because people find different things more appealing than others.

In a business presentation especially if it is formal the person may be wearing a suit, tie and appear very professional and this will help to build his credibility. If his presentation has a power point, handouts, or charts that are easy to understand than he will most likely not lose his audience. It is also important for him to add a little humor to show that he is funny but he can be smart and get his point across. Graphics that we have seen over and over again are stuck in our mind but not always on a conscious level. If we can see a product logo in a commercial we may miss it the first few times it is on, but then something clicks and we raise our awareness level. How many times have you watched the Home Extreme Makeover? I started becoming more aware of product placement because of my Public Relations class and I lose track of how many products that they advertise.

In sports advertisements the person is shown doing something physical like running up a hill, riding a bike, in a pack of hundreds of runners and this shows active motion. By doing this the person watching the commercial about an event will feel in awe of what the person has accomplished. Sometimes they will portray this person to seem like the strongest on earth and show the person near the Grand Canyon or some other destination that will appeal to the audience. When people like a particular sport like baseball, basketball, swimming or cycling they will feel a kinship with that athlete. Think about how dramatic the promo spots of athletes are for the Olympics and everyone wants to route for the hometown hero, but who has heard of the hero before? A lot of publicity and advertisement contracts are made with different athletes and major brands like Nike, Cannondale and Speedo. This is really a great time for all that are involved in a major sports event like the Olympics.

Virtual Worlds and Intercultural Communication

Virtual Worlds and Intercultural Communication

                                                                                                                    

            When one enters an online virtual world one can expect to enter a new land with countless opportunities for adventure and to meet other players who come from different backgrounds. People tend to spend time and hang around others who think like them or enjoy the same activities, and for those who enjoy playing virtual games this is a perfect place to get to interact with people from all over the world. When one first enters Second life one gets to choose a screen name and that name will be used throughout the Virtual World adventure. The next step is to choose an avatar that will represent that person and every detail about the avatar can be designed by that person. If someone wants to be short, tall, busty, thin one can pick the characteristics that is desired as well as changing clothes depending on which destination is chosen. Hairstyles, color and length can be easily changed with a right click on the screen and before one knows it a whole other identity can be formed.

             Growing up in the United States gives us the freedom to decide where we eat, what we look like, and who we choose to spend time with because is all up to us. That choice is not given to Arab women and they have to accept the role of someone who is separate from others and who is not allowed to make certain choices for her. “Arab women are equal as independent human beings, equal in the pursuit of knowledge, and equal in the freedom of expression (Jandt 2010, p. 227).”  Women from this part of the world have different beliefs than us, and it is just as normal as apple pie is to us so we have to adjust our way on thinking about this culture. What this means is there is more to what we know about Arab life, and is safe to assume when we see images on TV that include violence we all become fearful and think everyone is bad. We can assume some of the beliefs we learned about Islam and Arab countries came from images on the TV or newspapers, but we all know those are not the best sources to gain factual information. Reporters need to catch people’s attention, so what we see may be very negative and that will make the viewer scared, and make a judgment that all people from that area of the world are bad.   

            If one has the right components to download the game called ‘Understanding Islam through the Virtual World’, one will be able to participate in going to a Masque and studying about the Islam religion and be able to connect with people from different areas of the world. In the Virtual World one can sit, walk, stand next to each and take part in the same activities and explore this new world without fear of breaking cultural traditions. The question in the back of my mind is do women need to hide the fact from their husbands that they want to enter this Virtual World and break some of the traditional rules that they have to abide?  “Women are not allowed to go out alone, or speak to men other than their husband or blood kin, and they must always wear an Abaya but all of those rules change in this new Virtual World (Jandt 2010, p. 227).” In real life these rules must be followed or the women will most likely feel the repercussions if they are caught by their husbands but what happens in this virtual world?

            Women in the game gain instant freedom because she can change her appearance and put on an outfit that is completely different from the Abaya. She can wear a short dress in whatever color she chooses with high heels, wear her hair long and flowing so it hits the middle of her back for all to see. To be covered up by an Abaya is normal for women and it is an “old tradition” and it helps to protect women from men (Jandt 2010, p. 227). “The veil represents honor, dignity, chastity, purity, and integrity and no part of a woman’s body can be shown in front of strangers (Jandt 2010, p. 227).” In the Virtual World this conservative way of looking and thinking about the difference between women and men can change the moment that someone enters the Virtual World. Rules are going to be broken by both men and women because it is in the safety of their own computer and home.

            ‘Understanding Islam through the Virtual World’, brings people together for fun and adventure it can be a great learning tool for those of us who do not know much about Islam. Playing virtual games is great because women can connect with other women all around the world and they do not have to leave their homes to do so. From the video that was shown in the article, it looks like the graphics are very well done and the colors are clear and gentle on the eyes. This is a great way to learn about Arab life because people can participate in different activities or just stand around and chat. One of the best parts for me is going shopping for clothes and making an avatar that fits my personality and women no matter what country they are from love to shop. The only limitation that I can see is people may not want to spend time to chat because it may be more fun to explore the Virtual World. Sometimes the conversation may not get that deep because sometimes people joke around and do not discuss serious things like world events. Just being together in the Virtual World is the first step to understanding each other, and most people have computers in their homes so it is easy to begin the new journey into the Virtual World.

References:

Jandt, F. (2010) An Introduction to Intercultural Communication (6^th ed.). 

          Washington D.C.: Sage Publications.

Fouts J. S, King R. J,. (2010 , March 15). Understanding Islam through Virtual Worlds

          (2008-2009). Retrieved from http://www.cceia.org/programs/archive/002/index.html

Starting a New Job

How many people remember their first day on a new job? On January 3rd, I started a new job at John Hancock and I am going to be a customer service rep. in the mutual fund department. On my first day we got a tour around the building and the place is huge. Picture a square building that has windows all around it and there is tons of security so you need a badge to get just about anywhere, like from the training room to the bathroom. In the section where the main offices are is an elevated floor which means you have to step up to see the general work area they do this because the wires are under the floor and not above like at the last call center I worked at. Finding where to park was easy because I got there early enough to find a spot and finding the way to the training room was not hard because it was in the front of the building separate from the rest of the offices. We have a thick binder that is our training book and it has about 500 pages that we have to get through in our training which lasts for four weeks. Everybody that I work with is really nice and they even have a gym that I can workout in on my break. That's it for now!