nuclear power – Page 2 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 12

July 1, 2024December 12, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, there will be a few flyers of arcade games.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Contra arcade flyer

*A clever visual concept by Konami towards gamers and arcade operators.*

*Details on the other side of the flyer.*

Before it established itself as a popular gaming franchise with console gamers, Contra truly started in the arcades in 1987. First released in Japan on February 1987, Konami went on to release the game in arcades in the United States a month later and the flyer you see here was the Americanized promotion they came up with. Instead of hiring male actors or models to play soldiers, they hired a slim lady to appear with a female Rambo look standing in front of a Contra arcade machine. On the other side of the flyer are details that players and arcade operators can learn from. By today’s standards, this arcade flyer of Contra is still eye-catching and even amusing to look at.

2. College Football’s National Championship print ad

*This ad has a strong visual appeal to gamers who like football.*

This is another one of those video game ads I saw while reading comic books in the 1990s. College Football’s National Championship was a Sega Genesis-exclusive American football video game published by Sega (with the Sega Sports brand) to capitalize on gamers who want college football to play with at home. This print ad has a nice visual presentation of the college teams’ logos, screenshots and details of what gamers could expect when they buy and play the game. College Football’s National Championship received mostly positive reviews and it must have sold well because Sega went on to release a sequel to this game.

3. Robotron X print ad

*This Robotron game was made at a time when 3D polygons became common for making video games.*

Having played the classic game Robotron: 2084 on PC back in the 1980s, I was very surprised to see this print ad in 1996 promoting a brand new Robotron game for PlayStation as well as Windows PC. For the newcomers reading this, Robotron: 2084 was a classic which heavily influenced game designers who went on make other fan-favorite games like Smash TV and Llamatron. What makes Robotron X notable apart from being an official follow-up to the classic game was the fact that it was made at a time when game developers did their stuff to modernize gaming with 3D polygons for visuals while trying to come up with gameplay inspired by the classics. While Robotron X did not make a major impact on gaming, the classic Robotron: 2084 went on to be released in several multi-platform compilations such as Williams Arcade’s Greatest Hits, Midway’s Greatest Arcade Hits, and Midway Arcade Treasures.

4. Space Jam game print ad

*If you saw the movie in 1996, were you able to play this video game adaptation?*

What makes 1996 a memorable year for basketball fans was the Michael Jordan’s return to prominence (having previously retired for less than two years before returning to the NBA in 1995) and leading a very powerful Chicago Bulls team to what was their 4^th NBA championship title. In that same year, Jordan starred in the live-action/animated movie Space Jam which grossed an impressive $250 million worldwide. On the same month the movie came out, the Space Jam video game adaptation was also released on PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This print ad was part of the multimedia hype of the movie and the game itself had a very similar design and visuals concept with NBA Jam but ultimately it failed to become a hit with critics and gamers. Not even the combined visual might of Jordan and Warner Bros. characters could achieve success.

5. Magic Johnson’s Fast Break print ad

Still on basketball video gaming, the side-scrolling Magic Johnson’s Fast Break game was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for console gamers to enjoy. Unsurprisingly, this ad had nice black-and-white art work of Magic Johnson as the dominant figure while leaving little space left to show the game box and only one screenshot. The real meat of this print ad are the details laid down in text description.

6. Virtua Fighter 2 for Sega Genesis print ad

*Clearly a late effort by Sega to sell something to its many Genesis owners/fans in America at a time when PlayStation and Nintendo 64 started dominating 5th console generation sales.*

In the history of arcade gaming and fighting games, Virtua Fighter 2 was a worthy follow-up to its groundbreaking predecessor. VF2 also made its way on the Sega Saturn which essentially maintained the great gameplay and 60 frames-per-second animation even though the 3D polygonal graphics were noticeably lower in quality compared to its arcade version. With VF2 in the arcades and on Saturn selling well, I was surprised to see this print ad of Sega releasing a totally different version of the game on the aging Sega Genesis console. Virtua Fighter 2 on Genesis had 2D graphics, sprites for the characters and a side-scrolling visual design. In fairness, the game developers exerted effort to recapture some of the gameplay elements within the Genesis limitations and 2D graphics. This print ad is a reminder of Sega’s American division selling a product to the remaining active Genesis owners.

7. Ring King print ad

*Ring King itself clearly lacked promotional space in this ad.*

In 1987, Data East released their arcade hit game Ring King on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and prepared this print ad involving Ray Leonard, Jr. (on the foreground in boxing gear) and conveniently with the famous Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns (with the promo of their first fight together in the background). Also conveniently, the company inserted their other games on the lowest part of the ad. Ultimately, the presence of Ring King itself was minimized only showing the game cover and two screenshots. This is clearly an eye-catching ad but there was not enough emphasis on the game itself.

8. Super Spacefortress Macross arcade flyer

*The arcade flyer released only in Japan.*

Have you ever seen the classic anime movie Macross: Do You Remember Love? I really love watching that movie and I played and finished the video game adaptation on PlayStation in 1999. What I never got to play was the arcade game adaptation of it which was released by Banpresto in Japan in 1992. This flyer promoting the game has a strong visual presentation thanks to the artwork made for it. Only one screenshot was shown as well as a clip from 1984 the animated movie (note: the arcade game itself has some images directly from the film plus some newly created ones added) but this ad still had what it takes to capture the attention of the many Macross fans in Japan. This arcade game was eventually released with an English translation in America and Australia.

9. 2-in-1 print ad featuring Super C and Snake’s Revenge

*A memorable and intriguing print ad from Konami promoting sequels.*

This is one of the ads that Konami came up with to promote at least two games using a single-page ad format. I saw this ad in many comic books I read decades ago and its visual concept always caught my attention especially since I played the console game Contra a lot. At the high end of the ad were two fictional newspaper headlines highlighting the respective conflicts of Snake’s Revenge (with a nuclear danger concept) and Super C (with emphasis on alien invaders). These two games were sequels to the classics Metal Gear and Contra, and Konami clearly knew how to take advantage of the older games’ success and do their best to sell the sequels to gamers who love action-packed gaming as well as fantasized armed conflicts. Like the 2-in-1 ad showcasing Contra and Jackal, this was Konami’s aggressive move to sell war-inspired games to the NES userbase which was mostly composed of children and teenagers.

10. True Lies game print ad

*There is nothing like taking advantage of the imagery of a Hollywood superstar to promote a video game based on the related movie.*

Here is a video game ad I saw in many comic books I read in 1994-1995. True Lies (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was one of the big summer season movie hits of 1994 and the video game was part of the business tie-ins with the film. The people who made this print ad made the smart moves of showing not just one but three images of Schwarzenegger to promote the game while leaving some space to show what the game looked like. The True Lies game even had stills from the movie to emphasize the flow of the plot.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Nuclear power is key to preventing power shortages in the Philippines

May 24, 2024May 13, 2024carlocarrasco

If the Philippines is to keep growing economically in the long-term, it needs to have abundant energy and that makes nuclear power essential (for related posts, click here, here, here and here). That being said, the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) recently stated that nuclear power can prevent power shortages in the country, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), on Tuesday, May 7, said nuclear energy sources can help prevent energy shortages in the Philippines due to its “capacity factor” and “energy density.”

In a PTV interview, PNRI Executive Director Carlo Arcilla said nuclear power has two factors—energy density and capacity.

Energy density means that even a tiny amount of nuclear fuel, about the size of a finger, contains an incredible amount of energy, he said.

“If you had several tons of coal, it’s that powerful. It’s a very, very concentrated power,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Arcilla cited the second factor, “capacity factor,” explaining that the availability of a nuclear plant is approximately 90 percent of the time.

“When you’re running a nuclear plant, it’s reliably available about 90 percent of the time, regardless of the weather,” he said.

He further explained this by citing the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant as an example, along with other power plants built in the 1980s.

“Similar plants in Slovenia, South Korea, and Brazil have been in operation for 40 years and are even being relicensed for another 20 years,” he said.

“These plants can run for an impressive 18 months straight without needing to refuel. The amount of fuel they require is roughly equivalent to what you’d put in a jeep, and they keep running continuously,” he added.

The PNRI official then emphasized that nuclear energy production produces no emissions, including no carbon dioxide. The cost of running such a plant is estimated to be around 30 million dollars.

If that were compared to a coal plant running for 18 months at 620 megawatts (MW), it would be the same.

“The amount of coal needed would fill 50 Panamax ships. Each Panamax ship carries 50,000 tons. That’s 50 of them. Not to mention the CO2 (carbon dioxide). The cost of importing that coal would be around 800 million US dollars,” he explained

The PNRI is a research and development institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

Furthermore, Arcilla pointed out that even though nuclear power plants are initially costly to build, they have a lifespan of up to 80 years.

“America, for example, has 94 operating nuclear plants, average age, 60 years. Supplying 20 percent of America’s energy. Many of them don’t even know they have nuclear,” he said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think that nuclear power is the key to ensuring abundant amounts of energy that the Philippines will need to for economic growth as well as the needs of the people? Are members of your local community still living with a fear of nuclear power?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC) nuclear energy investment plan for Philippines moves forward

April 25, 2024April 12, 2024carlocarrasco

Recently the administration of Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., and top officials of the Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC) met in Washington, D.C., and discussed the progress of the company’s nuclear energy investment plan in the country, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday (Manila time) hailed the developments in the planned nuclear energy investment of Washington-based Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC) in the Philippines.

Marcos met with USNC’s top executives, led by its chief executive officer Francesco Venmeri, in the United States (US) to discuss the progress in the firm’s commitment to bring a reliable and clean energy source to the Philippines.

“We are delighted to share the progress of our ongoing collaboration with Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. since our inaugural meeting in 2023. Their investment in Micro Modular Reactors (MMRs) promises a reliable and clean energy solution for the country,” Marcos said in a Facebook post after his meeting with USNC officials.

“This initiative ensures greater energy security, reduced reliance on fossil fuels, and holds the promise of substantial economic gains for the Filipino people.”

During the meeting with USNC executives, Energy Secretary Rafael Lotilla briefed Marcos about the ongoing legislative measures in Congress that would provide the legal framework for the company’s planned investment and operation in the Philippines.

Lotilla told Marcos that the regulatory framework has been passed by the House of Representatives.

On Nov. 22, 2023, the House approved House Bill 9293, or the “Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, ” and last March 4, it also approved HB 9876 or the “Philippine Nuclear Liability Act.”

Marcos expressed hope that the bill gets passed in the Senate so that the necessary legal requirements could be completed soon to commence the project.

“You’re done already in the House. Okay. So, the elements that need to be there, the provisions that need to be (included), we can do in the Senate and then there’s one of course, is the bicam down the road. So, that would be the process from the government side,” the President said during the meeting.

“We spoke about this before. We’re going to go ahead with the program, with (the) project.”

Marcos’ meeting with USNC officials is a follow-up of their initial meeting in the US in May 2023, followed by the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on nuclear cooperation in Nov. 2023, and the firm’s participation in the US Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to the Philippines in March 2024.

The USNC is a global leader and vertical integrator of nuclear technologies and services. Its major initiatives include the MMR, Fully Ceramic Micro-encapsulated (FCM) nuclear fuel, and nuclear power and propulsion technologies for space exploration.

The MMR is a fourth-generation nuclear energy system that delivers safe, zero-carbon, cost-effective electricity and heat to utilities, industry, and remote communities.

This will be USNC’s first investment in the country and it partnered with Meralco for an MMR study.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you feel confident that safe and secure nuclear energy in the Philippines will be realized before the decade ends? Are people in your local community knowledgeable about the potential benefits of nuclear energy?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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DOE eyes 1,200-MW nuclear power capacity with SMR technologies in the Philippines by 2032

March 4, 2024February 24, 2024carlocarrasco

The path will be long and challenging for the Philippines to become a nuclear-powered nation but the Department of Energy (DOE) remains determined on achieving that goal by the year 2032 with the use of small modular reactor (SMR) technologies that could generate an initial 1,200 megawatts, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Department of Energy (DOE) top and senior officials said the agency is targeting to get a 1,200-megawatt installed power capacity from nuclear resources using small modular reactor (SMR) technologies by 2032.

This was confirmed by DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla as well as Undersecretaries Rowena Cristina Guevara and Sharon Garin to reporters in an interview in Taguig City on Thursday.

Lotilla said the government remains open to all technologies that will supply the growing power demand of the country in the coming years.

“(T)he commercial rollout of certain nuclear technologies are going to be there… (W)e can start planning for 2032 at the earliest. From the figures, you can see these are modest figures, 1,200 (MW) by 2032,” the DOE chief.

In her speech at the B2B Matching to Support Energy Transition (B2B SET), Guevara said this potential capacity would come from eight 150-MW SMRs.

She added that under the DOE’s Clean Energy Scenario (CES) 1, the 1,200 MW potential installed capacity for nuclear by 2032 is forecast to have additional 1,200 MW capacity by 2035 and another 2,400 MW by 2050.

Manila Electric Company has partnered with American firm Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC) to explore the potential of micro-modular reactors in the country.

AboitizPower Corp. is also exploring collaborations with NuScale Power Corp. and USNC in this sector.

Aside from the latest SMR technologies, Garin said the country is studying the viability of conventional nuclear reactors like the existing Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

Garin said the DOE is in talks with the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) for a more comprehensive feasibility study for the BNPP.

She added that the feasibility study with KHNP will determine if the government should pursue BNPP as a nuclear energy source in the future.

She said around 12 sites, mostly in the western parts of the country, are being studied for future locations of nuclear power facilities.

Safety first – Meanwhile, Lotilla stressed that the government will ensure that the safety concerns on nuclear energy technologies will be addressed first before putting up nuclear power plants.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Do you think the both the government and the private sector can make breakthroughs happen to pave the way for a nuclear-powered Philippines? Are there many people in your local community who are still afraid of nuclear energy because of what they saw in movies or TV shows that showed nuclear disasters?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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America-Philippines nuclear deal opens opportunities for investments and energy

November 22, 2023November 20, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently a landmark deal about nuclear power for peaceful purposes was signed between the United States of America and the Philippines which opens up opportunities for investments and energy that the Filipino people can benefit from, according to separate news stories (click here and here) published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

To put things into perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA story pertaining to investments. Some parts in boldface…

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday (Manila time) expressed elation over the signing of the much-awaited “123 Agreement” on nuclear cooperation between the governments of the Philippines and the United States.

This was after Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed the nuclear cooperation agreement that will facilitate the collaboration between the two countries on technical exchanges, scientific research, and initiatives to ensure the safe operation of nuclear power installations.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Marcos’ participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, California.

“I am most pleased to be here today to join you this afternoon to witness another milestone towards a more energy-secure and green Philippines,” Marcos said, noting that the move was in line with his plans to ensure an “affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy supply” for the Philippines.

Marcos expressed optimism that the signing of the nuclear deal would encourage more foreign investors to pursue nuclear power projects in the Philippines.

The nuclear power cooperation, he said, would enable the country to meet its growing energy demands and provide a “more investor- and consumer-friendly environment.”

“The signing of the Philippines – United States Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy or the 123 Agreement is the first major step in this major regard, taking our cooperation on capacity-building further and actually opening the doors for US companies to invest and participate in nuclear power projects in the country,” Marcos said.

The 123 Agreement will establish a legal framework that allows the export of nuclear fuel, reactors, equipment, and special nuclear material from the US to the Philippines.

The agreement will allow the Philippines to use US nuclear technology, not for war, but for energy security and climate goals.

The President noted that apart from the 123 nuclear deal, Meralco and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. also signed a cooperation agreement to undertake a Pre-Feasibility Study on Micro-Modular Reactors (MMRs) to explore clean and sustainable energy options in the country.

Under the agreement, a feasibility study will be conducted for the potential deployment of MMRs to Meralco sites to enforce the sustainable energy agenda and provide affordable and dependable access to power, particularly to the underserved and off-grid areas for economic empowerment.

“I know our companies are eager to advance discussions on potential projects. Just yesterday, the MOU (memorandum of understanding) between Meralco and Ultra Safe Nuclear Cooperation was also presented to me. So, I believe congratulations are in order for the work of our respective negotiating teams, especially to the team from the United States,” Marcos said.

“I look forward to seeing this agreement in action in the years to come. Nuclear energy is one area where we can show that the Philippines-US alliance and partnership truly works, for our peoples, our economies, and the environment.”

For the PNA story pertaining to energy and modular reactors, below is the excerpt. Some parts in boldface…

The historic nuclear cooperation deal between the United States and Philippines would allow the Philippines to secure US-developed nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors.

Manila and Washington D.C. signed the civil nuclear cooperation deal, commonly known as a 123 Agreement, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco on Nov. 16 (US time).

The agreement will facilitate and enhance cooperation on clean energy security and strengthen the two nations’ alliance, the US State Department said.

“With access to US material and equipment, the US and the Philippines will be able to work together to deploy advanced new technologies, including small modular reactors, to support climate goals as well as critical energy security and baseload power needs within the Philippines,” it said.

The signing marks the successful culmination of the negotiation process launched by Vice President Kamala Harris during her trip to the Philippines in November 2022.

The deal, the State Department said, also spells out limitations on enriching, reprocessing, and transferring specific items without the other party’s consent.

“This agreement lays out a comprehensive framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation between the Philippines and United States based on a mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation and is required by US law to allow for the transfer of nuclear equipment and material for peaceful uses,” it said.

The name 123 Agreement is derived from Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act, which requires the US to have an agreement with a country before it can conduct nuclear export.

Section 123 establishes nine nonproliferation criteria that 123 Agreements must include and signatories must uphold.

Last May, US nuclear energy firm NuScale Power Corporation has expressed interest to invest in the Philippines and bared its plan to conduct a study to locate a site in the country.

Oregon-based NuScale is known for developing a small nuclear power system, described as safe, modular and scalable.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about these recent developments? Can you imagine what a nuclear-powered Philippines would be like in the years to come? Are there still people in your local community who are afraid of anything related to nuclear power? Do you admire the efforts of the Marcos administration when it comes to modernizing the Philippines with nuclear technology and power?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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President Marcos reaches out to France for strategic partnership on nuclear energy

November 23, 2022November 21, 2022carlocarrasco

As you should know by now, I personally favor the use of nuclear power as a key source of abundant energy for the entire Philippines (read my posts by clicking here and here). Nuclear power can produce very high amounts of energy required to power the economy and society and there is no way that solar and wind power could achieve that. Nuclear energy is the answer for the energy requirements of the Philippines and I am really glad that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., reached out to French President Emmanuel Macron and specifically sought nuclear energy partnership during their high-level talk recently in Thailand, as reported by the Philippine Star.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Philippine Star news article. Some parts in boldface…

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he sought a partnership with France on nuclear energy during a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Thailand.

“I’m very confident that it will be a strong partnership simply because they have up to 67 percent of their power production is from nuclear energy so they are very, very used to it,” Marcos said, according to a release from Malacañang.

Marcos said he wanted to talk to Macron about energy because of France’s use of nuclear power, a controversial energy source that the Philippine president had long advocated for.

On the campaign trail, Marcos said the Philippines should look into reviving the 621-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant — a venture by his despot father and namesake which was mothballed in 1986 because of safety concerns.

During his first State of the Nation Address, Marcos reiterated his determination to adopt nuclear power, saying “it is time to re-examine our strategy towards building nuclear power plants.”

For some added insight into the Marcos-Macron meeting, watch the videos below…

In my honest opinion, it is high-time for the Philippines to move forward with enhancing the entire national power grid by using nuclear power. To invest tons of money on wind and solar power will only produce minimal new energy and the fact remains that the said two types of energy are unreliable. On the social aspect of nuclear energy, I encourage my fellow Filipinos reading this to stop being fearful about anything nuclear and pay close attention to the latest in nuclear power technology, specifically with small modular reactors (SMRs). Learn about them by clicking here and here.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development about the Philippines reaching out to France for a nuclear power partnership? Are you glad that President Marcos specifically sought partnership during his bilateral talk with the President of France?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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President Marcos on nuclear power plants in the Philippines

August 3, 2022August 2, 2022carlocarrasco

Last March, I highlighted an article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) related to nuclear power for the Philippines. Personally, I favor the use of nuclear power and the construction of nuclear power plants in the Philippines not just because it will provide clean and abundant energy but also because technologies and other means related to it all have advanced through the years.

That being said, it was good that our new President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., mentioned nuclear power during the recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) specifically referring to the nation’s strategy towards building new nuclear power plants.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA News report. Some parts in boldface…

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. again expressed his desire to adopt nuclear energy as part of the country’s power mix, but said the government’s strategy has to be rethought.

“I believe it is time to re-examine our strategy towards building nuclear power plants in the Philippines,” Marcos said in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

Marcos, however, did not mention the revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), a project during his late father Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s regime which has been mothballed for more than three decades.

In 1976, Marcos Sr. ordered the construction of the $2.3-billion BNPP, but it was shelved after three years due to safety concerns.

The Duterte administration had pegged the cost of reviving the BNPP at around $1 billion.

The President, instead, said that “there have been new technologies developed that allow smaller scale modular nuclear plants and other derivations thereof.”

In October 2019, Russian State Nuclear Energy Corp. (Rosatom) Overseas JSC and the Department of Energy (DOE) signed a memorandum of intent on cooperation to conduct a pre-feasibility study on the construction in the Philippines of nuclear power plants based on small modular reactor (SMR) technology.

Nevertheless, Marcos said the Philippines will comply with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations for nuclear power plants “as they have been strengthened after Fukushima.”

The President said that public-private partnerships will play a role in realizing the goal of adopting nuclear power.

In the Philippine Senate, there is already support for President Marcos’ plan. Posted below is an excerpt from the Philippine News Agency article. Some parts in boldface…

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Tuesday he will fully support the plan of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to explore the country’s potentials on nuclear energy as a cheap and reliable source.

Marcos said in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday that if the country wants to attract investors, both local and foreign, energy-level production must be increased.

“Why not? We are one of the few countries that have not looked at the nuclear option in Southeast Asia. The countries that are developing nuclear power in Asia — Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, even Singapore, are looking at the nuclear option, smaller nuclear power plants, and even Myanmar. We’re already left behind,” Zubiri said in an interview with a news channel.

Despite being a renewable energy advocate, as evidenced by the Renewable Energy Act which he authored, Zubiri admitted that there are not enough efforts to produce the energy requirement the country needs over the next six years.

“If you want to have an 8-percent GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth rate, we better have an energy sector that is robust, that can deliver the power the different industries need to be able to power other programs and projects,” he said.

A nuclear power plant, Zubiri said, might take six years to develop starting from its infancy, but can deliver thousands of megawatts from a single plant.

He said the facility must be built right, strong enough to withstand calamities, and away from earthquake faults.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, a known environmentalist, said she is open to exploring the possibility of nuclear energy but it must be considered “clean energy”.

“I may not be an expert in nuclear energy. I am open to hearing discussions and consultations with various stakeholders and experts in science on nuclear energy. I have read that nuclear energy is said to be clean. However, what about the nuclear waste? I am interested to know how it will be handled. At the same time, the safety measures,” she said.

Senator Francis Tolentino is likewise in favor of nuclear energy, which he learned has zero emission.

Meanwhile, the government of France is willing to help the Philippines on nuclear power development. France itself has been a major nuclear power player and therefore their willingness to share their expertise is significant for Filipinos. Posted below is an excerpt from the PNA article. Some parts in boldface…

The French government is keen to help the Philippines develop its nuclear power program as the Marcos administration looks for other reliable sources of energy.

French Ambassador Michèle Boccoz said the embassy has met with some of the Cabinet members and nuclear power was listed among the key areas Paris and Manila could cooperate on.

“(T)here’s obviously an interest. As I said, we have an experience and expertise in many different sectors of renewable energy, including the nuclear sector,” Boccoz said at a reception in Makati City on Tuesday.

She said working on small modular reactors is “probably much more realistic” than reviving the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

“I think that this is a thing of the past because the technologies have evolved so much that it wouldn’t really make sense to work to build this kind of project and it’s probably too big and it probably needs too much of the grid to be operational,” she added.

“So having a sort of more modular systems is probably much more realistic and also in terms of the terrain here and the systemic risks and others. These are much smaller units that can be much more easily protected.”

Boccoz, meanwhile, clarified that talks are still in the “very early stages” as Manila has to put in place a framework first.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about the renewed national interest about nuclear power? Are the climate change extremists and modern day Leftists still lying to you that nuclear power is bad while unreliable energy forms like solar and wind power are better? Are you willing to give nuclear power in the Philippines a chance?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

High time for Philippines to use nuclear power to ensure clean, abundant and affordable energy for the people

March 10, 2022March 9, 2022carlocarrasco

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the other economic and geopolitical developments related to it caused oil prices to spike. Here in the Philippines, the latest round of fuel price hikes resulted in diesel averaging around P65 per liter while unleaded gasoline is now past the P70/liter mark. Inevitably, the spike in crude oil prices will lead to a series of increases on food, transportation, delivery services, electricity and more.

Inflation really affects everyone and as far as the Philippines is concerned, the timing is really bad because Metro Manila and other parts of the country under Alert Level 1 status is experiencing a revival of commerce and increased number of people moving around. Along the way, the national average of new COVID-19 cases has been averaging in the hundreds the past several days.

Times like these, major decisions on ensuring abundant, clean and affordable energy for the Philippines are needed. In relation to this, President Rodrigo Duterte recently signed a major executive order (EO) that includes nuclear power for the country’s energy mix, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA report. Some parts in boldface…

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed Executive Order (EO) 164 that now includes the potential of nuclear power in the country’s energy mix.

Released on Thursday, EO 164 was signed by the Chief Executive last February 28.

“This policy is the start of the national nuclear power program,” said Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Gerardo Erguiza Jr. in a press conference.

Under the new policy, it stated that the country “shall ensure the peaceful use of nuclear technology anchored on critical tenets of public safety, national security, energy self-sufficiency, and environmental sustainability”.

Duterte issued the policy following the recommendation of the Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC), which conducted a pre-feasibility study and public consultation on the matter.

Through EO 164, the Chief Executive has recognized that nuclear power can be a reliable, cost-competitive, and environment-friendly source of energy based on the experience of highly developed countries.

“For the country to achieve its sustained growth targets, it must ensure that it has a reliable, secure, sustainable, quality and affordable electricity supply, including sufficient reserve to guarantee that there will be no disruptions in the power supply,” the policy read.

It added the use of nuclear energy will address the increasing demand for clean energy, rising by 4.4 percent annually, or an additional capacity of 68 gigawatts by 2040.

The EO still included the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) in the national nuclear program, but other nuclear power installations will be pursued.

The BNPP was the only nuclear power plant in the region during the 1980s, as the Philippines was one of the first Southeast Asian countries to embark on a nuclear energy program.

However, the project was mothballed because of corruption allegations and safety concerns on the use of nuclear energy.

A study conducted by Russia State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) in 2017 said the rehabilitation of BNPP will require around USD3 billion to USD4 billion.

The public is also becoming more open to the potential of nuclear energy.

“(A) Public Perception Survey on Nuclear Energy in 2019 indicated that almost 79 percent of Filipinos expressed approval or acceptability of the possible use or rehabilitation of an existing nuclear power plant,” the EO said.

The above report ended stating that 65% (of those who took the survey) approved the construction of new nuclear power plants and 78% are open to learning more about nuclear energy.

Of course, there is still this long-lasting fear and paranoia about nuclear power being too dangerous for the Philippines to have. Nuclear-related disasters like the one in Fukushima (2011) and Chernobyl (1986) are still remembered and there are also lots of anti-nuclear activists who continue to make noise.

No matter what those climate change extremists, social justice warriors (SJWs), modern day socialists and anti-nuclear power activists say, nothing changes the fact that nuclear power is the answer to meet nations’ constant demand for energy that is also clear, abundant and cost efficient. Watch and learn from the videos below…

Going back to the executive order Duterte signed, Albay Representative Joey Salceda (who is the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee) and presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. support nuclear power gave their respective reactions (click here and here).

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about nuclear power as an added option for the Philippines energy mix? Are you still worried about nuclear power being too dangerous because the people who oppose it scared you? Are you able to tell if the anti-nuclear activists have been spreading lies and misinformation just to manipulate you to oppose nuclear power?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

Never Let the United Nations and Other Worldly Forces Deceive You

September 24, 2021October 11, 2021carlocarrasco

Do you seriously believe that the intergovernmental organization called the United Nations (UN) is really working for the good of the world as well as maintaining peace and security? Are you comfortable with the ideas that the UN would affect your personal liberty, violate your nation’s sovereignty and meddle in the local affairs?

I asked these questions for you my readers to be aware of what has been going and what is happening around us all in this very divided, screwed-up world we live in. Very recently, the UN had its 76^th General Assembly in New York and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres went ahead with what could be described as acts of fearmongering and making people even more worried during this COVID-19 pandemic.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Philippine News Agency (PNA) report. Some parts in bold…

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres raised the alarm on Tuesday as world leaders convened in New York for the 76th General Assembly, telling them to “wake up” in the face of cataclysmic challenges.

Speaking as the General Debate opened, Guterres said the international community is facing “the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetimes.”

“We are on the edge of an abyss and moving in the wrong direction. Our world has never been more threatened or more divided,” he said. “The Covid-19 pandemic has super-sized glaring inequalities. The climate crisis is pummeling the planet. Upheaval from Afghanistan to Ethiopia to Yemen and beyond has thwarted peace. A surge of mistrust and misinformation is polarizing people and paralyzing societies. Human rights are under fire, and science is under assault.”

Guterres blasted searing inequity in vaccine access with the developed world mulling booster shots for its populations while many in developing regions are desperately searching for immunizations.

“This is a moral indictment at the state of our world. It is an obscenity. We passed the science test, but we are getting an F in ethics,” he said.

The UN chief further warned that current national climate commitments will see emissions go up 60 percent by 2030, which he said would bring a “hellscape of temperature rises of at least 2.7 degrees above pre-industrial levels” as nations remain “light years away from reaching our targets.”

“Instead of humility in the face of these epic challenges we see hubris. Instead of the path of solidarity, we are on a dead-end to destruction,” he said.

The stark warning comes after the UN issued a report last week that said the commitments established in the 2015 Paris climate accord, which are largely not being met, would lead to a 16 percent increase in emissions by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. A cut of 45 percent by 2030 is needed to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century, it added.

Guterres continued to warn of the dangers posed by ongoing great power competition between China and the US, saying he fears the world is heading toward “two different sets of economic, trade, financial and technological rules; two divergent approaches in the development of artificial intelligence, and ultimately, the risk of two different military and geopolitical strategies.”

“And this is a recipe for trouble. It would be far less predictable than the Cold War,” he said.

Amid the potential global split, Guterres said the UN’s powers remain too limited to address the globe’s challenges and need to be updated to ensure it could adequately address them.

When it comes to the climate change topic, the year 2030 is repeated yet again and as such it is important to point out that related climate change initiatives like the Green New Deal is a scam and renewable energy is itself unreliable as it depends on the cooperation with the weather (note: established energy forms like fossil fuels and nuclear power remain consistent, reliable and essential). It should be noted that climate change initiatives can be quite destructive to people socially and economically. Learn from the following videos below…

When it comes to the international community, the UN has a history of condemning Israel (click here and here) within its spectrum. Anti-Semitism is the norm for the UN for a long time now and there does not seem to be any movement from the UN leadership to stop it. As such, Israel has to keep defending itself. The lies that Israel is evil continue to circulate and I urge you readers not to be consumed by all the deception propagated by the enemies of Israel within the UN’s membership. As the UN cannot even solve its anti-Semitism problem within, how can they even prove their worth internationally with such developments like the what happened recently in Australia due to COVID-19 and Pakistan’s link with the Taliban in connection to the tragedies that happened in Afghanistan? Do we really need the United Nations at all? Learn from the videos below…

Finally, I want to point out that as the children of the Heavenly Father, we the faithful should follow Him, not the world. What is worldly is clearly not holy. Even world leaders are not immune to sin and the many temptations that come with the power they wield over people. The evil one – Satan – is clearly causing division worldwide using many methods and human pawns, and not a lot of people depending on worldly authorities and influences realize that. Learn from the holy scriptures below…

The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching. The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.

Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around.

Luke 22:1-6 (NLT)

Thus says the Lord:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man

And makes flesh his strength,

Whose heart departs from the Lord.

Jeremiah 17:5 (NKJV)

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:3 (NKJV)

Lord, it is so much better to trust in you to save me than to put my confidence in someone else.

Yes, it is so much better to trust in the Lord to save me than to put my confidence in celebrities. Once I was hemmed in and surrounded by those who don’t love you. But by Yahweh’s supernatural power I overcame them all!

Yes, they surrounded me, like a swarm of killer bees swirling around me. I was trapped like one trapped by a raging fire; I was surrounded with no way out and at the point of collapse. But by Yahweh’s supernatural power, I overcame them all!

Psalm 118:8-12 (TPT)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Very clearly, it is only the Heavenly Father, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit who can protect us, heal us, lift us up and protect us all from Satan and the screwed-up world. The United Nations cannot do the same for it (along with other worldly bodies out there) is vulnerable to sin and temptation, not to mention being influenced by the climate change extremists, the Marxists, the socialists, the secularists, the abortionists, the Communists, the liberals, the SJWs, the covetous, the religious extremists, the atheists, the fascist and the terrorists. Where is the spark for the UN to reform itself in and out? What we can do is pray to the Lord so that the worldly forces will realize their errors, stop doing Satan’s will, come to the Lord, repent to Him and submit themselves to His authority.

Any person of faith knows it is only the Lord anyone can truly trust wholeheartedly and worship eternally. It is only the commands from the Lord we should follow, not the commands of the worldly. As people of faith, we must always stand with the Lord and spread the Word of God to the countless unsaved and lost souls everywhere to help them realize that Jesus is Lord and Savior of all and He is truly the only way to salvation. True peace, stability, security and prosperity will be realized under the Lord, not under worldly forces.

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