Clarence Hardy and my "appalling errors"

My mistake. I just read his comment. He's baiting for a talking spot, that's all. He must be bored.

I suppose we'll have to wait for Dr. Laurel's comment next...

Your interview, Kirk, was a wonderful one. I do not feel there were any mistakes or errors other than tiny, tiny, omissions that were forced on you by the limited interview time available and certainly nothing that would justify Dr. Hardy’s response. I have run into a "large number" of otherwise nuclear knowledgeable individuals within my universe at DOE that have little or no practical awareness of Thorium or LFTR (MSR). Many very competent nuclear designers have only fleeting knowledge of MSR technology and have a mild distaste for thorium after the early 1950s Thorium experiments in solid fuel format like the Light Water Breeder Reactor experiment and remember the relatively awkward and expensive difficulties relating to FOREX reprocessing. My guess is that Dr. Hardy is really just not informed about LFTR and the matter of fact claims you made regarding the Fluoride Reactor and its improved performance just seem outlandish to him. Without further evidence I feel it a disservice to ascribe any grand conspiracy or "follow the money" motivation to be appropriate with Dr. Hardy. I think it is much more likely that he has not recently reviewed the Molten Salt Reactor approach and in his unfamiliarity he is incredulous at the many remarkable, true, and demonstrable claims for the improved performance of LFTR.

I found Dr. Hardy!! According to what I found, he retired in 1991, i.e., almost 20 years ago. Goto this link: http://www.wnfc.info/proceedings/2009/biographies.html And do a search for "hardy." Here is a quotation from the link: "Clarence Hardy Managing Director Nuclear Fuel Australia Ltd. Clarence Hardy has distinguished qualifications and experience in the nuclear field. He has two doctorates, has published more than 100 scientific papers and has given more than 100 talks to technical and non-technical audiences in Australia. Dr. Hardy retired in 1991 after a 35-year career in nuclear science and technology in senior positions in three national nuclear laboratories in the UK, United States and Australia. He worked for 20 years as a division chief and chief scientist of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission (AAEC) at the Lucas Heights Research Laboratories in Sydney, and his history of the AAEC was published in 1999. Dr. Hardy set up the Glen Haven Consulting Co. in 1991 and is managing director of Nuclear Fuel Australia Ltd. He also is the secretary of the Australian Nuclear Association (a non-profit, non-government, Scientific Institution which provides information on all aspects of nuclear science and technology) and organizes national and international conferences for the association. Dr. Hardy was president from 2006 to 2008 of the Pacific Nuclear Council, which represents more than 60,000 nuclear scientists and engineers in the Pacific Region." Based on the above, I'd guess that he is probably > 80 years olde, although that in itself would not explain why he made an attack that was totally devoid of any specific information. It's the sort of attack more typical of the Sierra Club or Greenpeace.

Dr. Clarence Hardy died April 18, 2011