This blog is not intended to bore but sometimes, facts are boring. In this case, I'm going to go somewhere so obscure, I'll probably lose the great majority of you. Except for one thing, I have a "mole" on the inside so you get to know the real story behind the story.
The government of Canada, (There! I lost a bunch of you already), maintains a nuclear reactor in Chalk River, Province Ottwaw. This reactor produces radioactive isotopes for around 80 countries. What are these isotopes used for? Medical testing including the tests YOU receive courtesy of your family physician.
So what? You say? Well this reactor has been shut down because of various malfunctions caused by aging. Most reactors have a finite life-span of around 50 years and the Chalk River reactor is guess what? 50 years old. My how time flies! Apparently, nobody noticed and nobody made plans to replace an aging dinosaur. The truth, (God that has to hurt), is that everyone employed by this agency has known for years that this was going to happen. My "mole" has been hollering about it. Another voice crying in the wilderness. So no isotopes, no radiology to save your ass from all those nasty diseases that threaten you.
The Canadian AECL is the perfect model of inefficiency and dare I say it, CORRUPTION. The only fair comparison is the State of Kalifornia which is deservedly facing bankruptcy. How do we get to this place? The only answer is: I've got mine so screw whoever comes behind me. Let him/them clean it up.
As these microcosmic failures, including General Motors and whole states continue to crash, where does that leave the entire United States? The clock is ticking. I remember the sign that says: Plan Ahead.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Technology/Chalk+River+isotope+reactor+last+legs+engineers/1614456/story.html
