NUCLEAR WINTER

This recent photo of frozen Lake Erie shows plumes from two nuclear power plants. The one on the right is Fermi II, in Michigan. I’m not sure what and where the other one is; could possibly be in Ohio.

"Nuclear winter" is a phrase we don't hear much in our post-Cold War times. More often these days we hear about "impact winter" (comet or asteroid strike) or a "volcanic winter" (super-volcanic eruption), but new science predicts dire global effects from even a "limited" exchange any where on the planet. I hope we know what we're doing! And while we're at it, let's get those non-polluting green energy sources up and running. From my Ontario backyard I see these striking plumes in different sizes and colors under different atmospheric conditions. They can look beautiful, but I never forget what they are, and the fearsome power they represent.

SKYWATCH FRIDAY – Fermi II (Lake Erie)

This photo (click to enlarge) was taken from the Erie north shore, looking across to the twin towers of the Fermi II nuclear power plant. Fermi II is located about halfway between Detroit, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio, in the city of Monroe (Frenchtown Charter Township) Michigan. The view constantly changes with the light and weather. Sometimes white feathery plumes, several times the height of these, arise. I would like to think of them as beautiful, but somehow I’m never quite able to.




For more photos of skies around the world, visit Skywatch Friday