Speaking at a vancouver writers fest event at ubc on october 26, eric schlosser outlined. The connection is laid out in the introduction of the book. A chernobyl guide to the future is published by allen. The untold story of the worlds greatest nuclear disaster is published by bantam. It was the most expensive electricity never generated. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety. Eric schlosser has written a book which should be read by everybody. Eric schlosser, bard of folly the american prospect. Yup, my dad worked for calvert cliffs nuclear power plant.
The dark side of the allamerican meal paperback march, 2012. Command and control by eric schlosser 19 minutes read. Command and control author, director discuss us nuclear oversights more abc news david kerley interviews command and control author and director eric schlosser. The oscarshortlisted documentary command and control, directed by robert kenner, finds its origins in eric schlossers book and continues to explore the. Chilling pbs doc recounts the nuclear accident that nearly. When he started on his nuclear researches, schlosser conceived the book as something. Eric schlosser raises alarm in vancouver about nuclear. Watch command and control american experience official. As the technology improved, as the number of nuclear weapons in our arsenal increased, there were soon assembly lines for making nuclear weapons. Chilling pbs doc recounts the nuclear accident that nearly destroyed arkansas. Eric schlosser collapse of industrial civilization. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety, which was a pulitzer prize finalist. Eric schlosser recounts the united states clumsy history. And eric schlosser, you mentioned in the title of the book the damascus accident.
The night we almost lost arkansas a 1980 nuclear armageddon. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety by eric schlosser. Eric schlosser is the author of command and control. Find out whats really been going on since world war ii, when the first nuclear bomb was invented, and how lucky we are to still be here despite numerous accidents and close calls that could have kicked off armageddon. More nuclear plants could also lead to greater nuclearweapons proliferation. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Eric schlosser, an awardwinning american journalist and author, has. Meatpacking plants ruin the bodies of workers on their assembly line. Mar 27, 2014 according to eric schlossers 20 book, command and control. I mean it took a lot of time to dig up these details. This book covers various topics, from thermalhydraulic analysis to the safety analysis of nuclear power plant. To make it happen as for a bomb you need really highly enriched uranium that is far more pure than the stuff in a power plant, and it has to be isotopically pure as well that is, the u235 that is used in a bomb cant be less than 85% u235 only, you cant have it contaminated. In the autumn of 1999 eric schlosser was invited to vandenberg air. Nuclear safety is defined by the international atomic energy agency iaea as the achievement of proper operating conditions, prevention of accidents or mitigation of accident consequences, resulting in protection of workers, the public and the environment from undue radiation hazards.
For his most recent book, gods of metal, he detailed how in 2012 environmental activists broke into a highsecurity complex bulging with weaponsgrade. Scientists contemplate the increasing likelihood of nuclear war. Ferguson discusses how nuclear power plants work, what the dangers of nuclear power plants are, what the relationship to nuclear weapons materials are, how we should confront the risk of terrorist attacks on nuclear power plants, et cetera. Surprisingly, the ucs book barely mentions any connection between nuclear weapons and its daughter, nuclear power, in contrast to the books by samuels and nadesan.
Eric matthew schlosser is an american journalist and author known for his investigative journalism, such as in his books fast food nation, reefer madness, and command and control. Eric schlosser, author of fast food nation, on the. While ferguson comes off as slightly pro nuclear energy, the book in general endeavors not to take sides. Schlosser in an investigative journalist most famous for his book, fast food nation, but he has more recently been exploring the dangers of our current, worldwide nuclear weapons situation. A groundbreaking account of accidents, nearmisses, extraordinary heroism, and technological breakthroughs, command and control explores the dilemma that has existed since the dawn. Nuclear power plants do this too, though much more slowly. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety 20.
Eric schlosser is most famous for fast food nation 2000. Eric schlosser will be speaking at the festival of dangerous ideas in sydney on september 5 and at the. It focused on the explosion, as well as other broken arrow incidents during the cold war. As an investigative journalist, hes followed the harvest with migrant farm workers in california, spent time with meatpacking workers in texas and colorado, told the stories of marijuana growers and pornographers and the victims of violent crime, gone on duty with the new york police department bomb squad, and visited prisons throughout the united states. The squadron was understaffed, and its commander feared that hippiespeople from the haightashburywere trying to steal nuclear weapons. Five assessments of the fukushima disaster bulletin of the. Popular nuclear power books meet your next favorite book.
The malfunction led to meltdowns of three reactor cores, and multiple explosions. Dec 22, 2019 more nuclear plants could also lead to greater nuclear weapons proliferation. The tokyo electric power company tepco said it erroneously configured gauges used to measure groundwater levels in six wells near fukushima no. In september 20, eric schlosser published a book titled command and control.
Instead, it aims to address the challenging ideas that can be implemented in and used for the development of future nuclear power plants. Despite all the close calls in fact, very close, according to eric schlossers command and control, not a single nuclear weapon has yet to accidentally detonate in their seventy years of existence. Eric schlosser in this interview excerpt, eric schlosser, awardwinning journalist and author of the book fast food nation, discusses the state of the american food system. Sep 14, 2016 a titan 2 missile, as seen in command and control pbs the night we almost lost arkansas a 1980 nuclear armageddon that almost was author eric schlosser and filmmaker robert kenner on the. He avoids the twin traps of falling into antinuclear polemicism or of writing military techno porn and the resulting impeccable balance and avoidance of sharpening axes magnifies the books impact. Famed investigative journalist eric schlosser digs deep to uncover secrets about the management of americas nuclear arsenal. Continue reading at eric schlosser recounts the united states clumsy.
It does not focus only on current power plant issues. How do you deploy weapons of mass destruction without being destroyed. Oct 24, 20 the following is an excerpt from eric schlossers book, command and control. A titan 2 missile, as seen in command and control pbs the night we almost lost arkansas a 1980 nuclear armageddon that almost was. Eric schlossers superb account of nuclear nearmisses reveals the absurdity of the arms war nick cohen sun 29 sep 20 03. Eric schlosser raises alarm in vancouver about nuclear weapons. The following is an excerpt from eric schlossers book, command and control. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident and the illusion of safety. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety is a 20 nonfiction book by eric schlosser about the history of. Aug 11, 2015 as support for a potential nuclear power plant and waste disposal facility appears. Jan 10, 2017 here in the us, we like to think that our nuclear weapons exist to prevent our enemies from detonating a nuclear explosion on us soil that is, when we think about them at all. There is genuine heartinyourthroat suspense in eric schlossers accounting of the big hits and nearmisses during the past halfcentury of the nuclear age.
In this book, hes interested in how the effort to control nuclear. Human error in a nuclear facility nearly destroyed arkansas. The decision to place a nuclear power plant in brennilis seems irrational today, fifty years after the project began, as the town struggles to erase all trace of the plant. Penguin press, the siop featured 3,720 targets grouped into more than 1,000 ground zeros that would be struck by 3,423 nuclear weapons aimed at the soviet union, china, north korea, and eastern europe. Eric schlosser raises alarm in vancouver about nuclear weapons and nuclear power 1 of 1 2 of 1 the author of a new book on u. He had explained to me that when he worked for nasa, he was the kind of engineer that specialized in meeting government regulations.
Techno thrillers have got nothing on this truelife account of the united states misadventures with nuclear weaponry. Eric schlosser says his research into americas nuclear arsenal has made him. Eric schlosser command and control nuclear weapons, the. There is genuine heartinyourthroat suspense in eric schlosser s accounting of the big hits and nearmisses during the past halfcentury of the nuclear age. The dark side of the allamerican meal the medical literature on the causes of food poisoning is full of euphemisms and dry scientific terms.
Eric schlosser talks about his book, command and control, in which he details the ease with which an accident can occur when handling nuclear weapons. Schlosser is the author of the bestselling expose fast food nation, published in 2001. French nuclear energy technology determined the fate of brennilis, a 500person town in the northwesternmost department of france, for almost a century. Eric matthew schlosser born august 17, 1959 is an american journalist and author known for his investigative journalism, such as in his books fast food nation 2001, reefer madness 2003, and command and control. At the heart of the book lies the struggle, amid the rolling hills and small farms of. Command and control author, director discuss us nuclear.
Air force has been handling thousands of nuclear weapons for nearly 70. Schlosser spent 6 years in the most crazy nuclear shit imaginable and the revelations in the book about times we almost destroyed a large part of the florida coast are seemingly endless. To them, its evidence that nuclear weapons are safe and just need continued funding toward that end instead of drawing the obvious conclusion. On thermonuclear war, kahns bestknown book, contains scenarios not only for. This freakish event is at the core of eric schlossers new book, command and control. Nov 04, 2015 schlosser in an investigative journalist most famous for his book, fast food nation, but he has more recently been exploring the dangers of our current, worldwide nuclear weapons situation. This helped schlosser understand how a seemingly minor eventa dropped socket in a missile silo in damascus, arkansas in 1980 nearly caused an explosion that could have killed millions of people. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety, from 20, and a producer of the documentary command and control. A parametric analysis of the generating cost of nuclear power is reduced to determining the effects of six independent variables, such as plant load factor plf, special plant cost spc, fixed charge on capital equipment fc, specific fuel cost sfc, average new plant efficiency during load cycle eff, fuel burnup b on the four dependent. He was a quality engineer who was experienced at maintaining compliance with government contracts. Oct 04, 20 eric schlosser tasked a filmmaker to create a video to accompany his new book on nuclear war, command and control. Nor does it dwell upon the consequences of the accident in terms of lowlevel radiation.
The hydrogen bomb unleashed the power of the atom to allow. A groundbreaking account of accidents, near misses, extraordinary heroism, and technological breakthroughs, command and control explores the dilemma that has existed since the dawn of the nuclear age. Nuclear weapons, the damascus incident, and the illusion of safety new york. Eric schlosser on nuclear weapons future of life institute.
Eric schlossers command and control fills that gap, telling of the weapons. Just a few pages into command and control isbn 9781594202278 a titan ii missile begins leaking. See more ideas about nuclear energy, nuclear power and nuclear disasters. Continue reading at eric schlosser recounts the united states clumsy history with nuclear weapons. Command and control 20 uncovers the disturbing truth behind the troubled and accidentprone us nuclear weapons program.
The united states has narrowly avoided a long series of nuclear disasters, he writes. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. It has been reprinted by arrangement with the penguin press, a member of penguin group usa llc, a penguin random house company. He cited the research of charles perrow, who examined the partial meltdown of the three mile island nuclearpower plant in 1979.
Schlosser also looks at the cold war from a new perspective, offering history from the ground up, telling the stories of bomber pilots, missile commanders, maintenance crews, and other ordinary servicemen who risked their lives to avert a nuclear holocaust. While ferguson comes off as slightly pronuclear energy, the book in general endeavors not to take sides. As support for a potential nuclear power plant and waste disposal facility appears. Unfortunately, the command and control of americas nuclear weapons has been far from 100% perfect, as investigative journalist eric schlosser points out in his latest book command and control. Here in the us, we like to think that our nuclear weapons exist to prevent our enemies from detonating a nuclear explosion on us soil that is, when we think about them at all.
As support for a potential nuclear power plant and waste disposal facility appears to grow in south australia, where politicians are groping for ideas to stimulate the states flagging economy, investigative journalist eric schlosser has a cautionary tale that should make us think twice. Mar 10, 2014 surprisingly, the ucs book barely mentions any connection between nuclear weapons and its daughter, nuclear power, in contrast to the books by samuels and nadesan. Eric schlosser explores subjects ignored by the mainstream media and tries to give a voice to people at the margins of society. Across the world in the early 21st century, nuclear weapons have become a symbol of power and. As eric schlosser, a journalist who has written extensively about nuclear weapons and risk, told me, ultimately, with. According to eric schlossers 20 book, command and control. Eric schlosser tasked a filmmaker to create a video to accompany his new book on nuclear war, command and control. As eric schlosser, a journalist who has written extensively about nuclear weapons and. Sep 17, 20 schlosser this was the titan ii in damascus, ark. Watch command and control american experience official site.
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