Lititz Rotary Cog
April 24, 2012
President Stephanie rang the meeting to order at 6:00
PM. We opened with the pledge of
Allegiance (facing the flag in Lititz Square).
After singing “My Country Tis of
Thee” Roy Brubaker lead us in prayer followed by the 4-Way test. The dinner, including Pulled Pork sandwiches
and Baked Mac & Cheese, was especially appetizing.
Mike Eisman, a guest from the Myerstown Rotary, was
introduced. The 50-50 winner was our
guest speaker, Susan Hess. So, in a true
spirit of nepotism, Sam Hess led the singing with “I’m looking over a 4-leaf clover”; and, “R-O-T-A-R-Y.” Chuck
Stiefvater gave us a summary report on the recently completed Travelogue
program. Ironically, in spite of an
unusually mild and dry winter, snow actually depressed turnout. However, we did exceed our target on revenue
($16,200 net). Chuck’s overall
assessment was “it was a pretty good
year.” He then reminded us that next
year will be the 50th anniversary of the program and that we can
expect “a great year!” Next year’s focus will be the USA! Chuck also complimented Pete Reyburn for
upgrading the Travelogue support staff by sending his wife, Heidi, when he was
unable to attend.
Dennis Stuckey introduced our Student of the Month: Ian
Grey. Ian’s high school focus has been
math & science. He is a member of
the Honor Society and the Civil Air Patrol.
He will attend Penn State in the fall studying Aeronautical Engineering.
The evening’s program was titled “Nuclear Energy: Path to Energy Security.” A proud Sam Hess introduced the speaker (his
daughter Susan Hess). Susan is PR
Director for AREVA, the largest supplier of nuclear products and services in
the world. They are involved in mining;
fuel assembly; reactor design and maintenance; fuel recycling; and, returning
plants to greenfield condition.
“We
do not inherit the Earth from our parents—we borrow it from our children.” Native American Proverb
Susan laid-out the priorities for nuclear energy—safety is
the top priority. She provided statistics
that make a very compelling case for the use of nuclear energy. For example, nuclear is responsible for 20%
of the energy in the US. Drilling down
further, nuclear represents 72% of our low carbon energy production. Currently there are 104 nuclear power plants
in the US located in 31 states (most on the east coast). Four new plants are being built in South
Carolina and Georgia. Activity is
finally regenerating since the Three Mile Island accident more than a
generation ago.
Two kinds of reactors are used for energy production, 1)
pressurized water and 2) boiled water.
TMI is type 1 and Peach Bottom is type 2. Unfortunately, the disaster at Fukushima,
Japan is having a major impact on attitudes toward nuclear programs. Their plant was designed to withstand an 8.2
quake, but it got a 9. It was designed
to handle an 18’ tsunami and it was barraged by 7 tsunamis, the highest being
49’. A total power failure disabled
critical systems leaving fuel rods exposed.
This resulted in a hydrogen explosion—the nuclear fuel never exploded.
Although AREVA did not design the Fukushima facility they
did have personnel on site and were able to provide assistance—humanitarian,
equipment and supplies. Now the reactor
is stable. The cooling system is
operating and they are preparing the plant to be decommissioned. We need to focus on the fact that the
Fukushima disaster was caused by extreme natural conditions. We also need to bear in mind that we demand a
lot of energy in this country:
We don’t want brownouts
We need security
We want clean air
We demand a clean source of energy
And, our energy needs are growing
We also need to remember that the nuclear energy industry
creates jobs, in many ways, including the recycling of spent fuel. 96% of used material can be recycled for
further use. The remaining 4% can be
“vitrified”--encased in glass like lead crystal—which renders it completely
safe. Every country in the world with
nuclear plants recycles the material, with one exception—the US.
In summary—nuclear is a vital part of our energy future.
Club members complimented Susan for her glowing report on the state of the nuclear industry. President Stephanie adjourned the meeting at
7:20
