Gordon Aubrecht - Papers on energy and environmental science

For the lay reader who wants a grounding in a number of energy/environment issues, Aubrecht's website, with its archive of discussions, is one of the best I've seen (at least from my own lay point of view).

One of his best papers poses the question -- Proliferation of nuclear weapons through use of coal-fired electricity?

It's possible, but not probable. But what is certain is that coal is a dirty, dirty fuel, and burning it releases far more radioactive material per watt than any nuclear reactor.

Gordon Aubrecht is a professor of physics at Ohio State University. He not only does research in particle physics, but he has been involved in promoting recycling programs for 30 years, he opposed putting "Intelligent Design" philosophy into the science curricula of Ohio's public schools, and is part of the Contemporary Physics Education Project. He has written a number of excellent, easily-understood introductory papers and presentations on energy and climate issues.

I came across Aubrecht's website while looking for some information that didn't originate in the energy industry on radioactive pollutants in coal and coal fly-ash. I think many of us E/E DUers will find several of Aubrecht's papers interesting. Aubrecht writes in a clear, easily-understandable manner, without politicking. Although the radioactive-coal issue is mainly associated with those of us who promote (or at least don't oppose) nuclear energy, the paper contains a wealth of information for everyone who's concerned with environmental issues. For example, anti-nuclear activists will probably find Aubrecht's discussion of non-nuclear pollutants to be quite enlightening.

There's a similar paper available, Nuclear Proliferation through Coal Burning.

Grand Decisions is a general backgrounder that supports the USA's participation in the Kyoto Treaty.

A more detailed version of this paper resulted from a seminar he gave at the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences -- Climate Change, Human Activity, and World Population.

Aubrecht also has a paper (from a poster presentation) on the Peak Oil phenomenon and Hubbert's Curve, How Much Oil? Unlike many similar papers, Aubrecht takes a close look at the possibility of errors in Hubbert's work, and concludes that no matter what errors Hubbert and his successors may have made, the premise is valid and the threat is real. Some math is involved, but if you were able to pass high school algebra, you won't have any problem with it.

Energy is the textbook Aubrecht wrote for students of these issues. In spite of the picture of the nuclear reactor cooling tower on the cover, the book is about a wide range of energy and environmental issues.

There's also an index page that links to most of his papers. And, of course, there's the Home Page.

--p!

:)

Glenn Seaborg was, like, God.

You wrote, "Grand Decisions is a general backgrounder that supports the USA's participation in the Kyoto Treaty."
with a link to http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~aubrecht/GDfactsheet.pdf

The chart on U.S. electricity consumption looks wrong,
he has nuclear way higher than other sources, coal should be highest.
Top of page 3 of the pdf:


Here's a pie chart for 2005 from front page of http://www.eia.doe.gov