Happy Canada Day from the Proudly Canadian Nuclear Association!
July 1, 2011
Image Credit: Nuclear FAQ by Dr. Jeremy Whitlock
On a day of national pride, we here at TalkNuclear are blowing the horn for nuclear!
Take a look at the timeline below for a glimpse into Canada’s history with nuclear technology. It’s an impressive history of innovations that have led to:
- safe, reliable energy production (15% of Canada’s electricity is nuclear generated,55% in Ontario);
- a clean-burning power source that emits virtually no greenhouse gasses that cause smog or contribute to global warming;
- life-saving contributions in health care such as medical isotopes for sterilization and disease diagnosis and treatment;
- improved food safety thanks to food irradiation which helps prolong the shelf life of food by killing bacteria such as E-Coli;
- general safety improvements in other industries such as the automobile, aircraft, mining, aluminum and construction which rely on radioactive materials in their daily operations.
A trip down memory lane. Check out this 1953 vintage CBC video looking inside the “colbalt bomb,” which is a nickname for the cobalt beam therapy unit designed at AECL. It was called “one of the best ways that physicians and scientists have yet found to combat cancer.”
Shout-out to CANDU technology
Click the image for details.
Did you know the global fleet of CANDU and CANDU-derived reactors currently includes 50 reactors. CANDU stands for “CANada Deuterium Uranium.” It’s a Canadian-designed power reactor of PHWR type (Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor) that uses heavy water (deuterium oxide) for moderator and coolant, and natural uranium for fuel.
On behalf of Canada’s nuclear community, Happy Canada Day!
