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Электронное приложение к журналу «
Международная жизнь
»
Author : S. Pereslegin
Journalist
THERE IS A WELL ESTABLISHED VIEW that an admin-
istrative decision today can be correctly assessed and under-
stood only by those who were directly involved in its
elaboration and approval that is to say, administrators them-
selves. All others are destined to remain outside the bounds of
the established democratic (or bureaucratic) procedure. Not
only are they not in a position to influence the choice of a de-
velopment scenario the choice is not even explained to them.
A report on the causes of the disaster at the Sayano-Shushen-
skaya hydroelectric power station could go on and on. As in
the case of any man-made industrial accident, there are plenty
of causes: Modern technical systems are highly reliable and, as a general rule, extensive
and strenuous efforts are needed to force a turbo generator to start crushing walls and
killing people. A court punishes those guilty but does not impact on a system that makes
managerial decisions dictated by interests rather than engineering decisions dictated by
technical laws.
All these must nots are of an engineering/technological nature. Meanwhile, decisions are
not made by engineers. Decisions are made by managers. The problem, incidentally, is not
that managers are bad and are ready to ruin the station in pursuit of their selfish interests,
endangering human life. First, no one wants to go to prison. Second, major disasters do
provide opportunities for misuse of public funds, but definitely not by those operating a
station and responsible for its operation.
It would not be a mistake to say that a manager cannot have a strategy. Only tactics.
This is exactly why a manager cannot be a decision maker.
So fundamentally new energy projects can change the type of globalization and in some
cases call it into question.
The present-day world is going through a nuclear renaissance.
There is every reason for a nuclear renaissance. Even now the world is experiencing a
shortage of electrical energy, and according to all expert assessments, this shortage will
only deepen. Hydrocarbon prices are increasing, while the costs of hydrocarbon trans-
portation are rising even faster. As for coal, it is either environmentally hazardous or ex-
pensive, and in addition, its transportation is a problem. Available hydro-resources are
scarce and randomly located. Faith in energy saving and alternative energy brings to mind
Nuclear Renaissance: An Author's Perspective