tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post8561951791935147394..comments2023-10-22T18:25:39.688+08:00Comments on The View from Taiwan: Twofer from Commonwealth: rice and nukesMichael Turtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-48587747823603861302013-03-24T13:38:55.679+08:002013-03-24T13:38:55.679+08:00The nuke article is unbalanced.
For one thing, it...The nuke article is unbalanced.<br /><br />For one thing, it's light on numbers such as those concerning the typical volumes of vitrified high-level wastes and the intensity of their ionizing radiation, or such as the volumes of pre-vitrified waste stored underground at Taiwan's nukes.<br /><br />For another thing it neglects developments in reprocessing technology (e.g. the addition of fast neutron reactors) that will further reduce the amount of high-level wastes that have to go to geological disposal.Mike Faganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08745281285031316740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-4088460324757927172013-03-24T07:06:48.321+08:002013-03-24T07:06:48.321+08:00Yes, government is a big problem. Another problem ...Yes, government is a big problem. Another problem is the cultural commitment to rice as a crop. Instead of shifting to other, less water intensive crops, and branching out into lucrative specialty crops, the government and culture compel the planting of rice....Michael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-88887043897155302552013-03-24T01:25:55.387+08:002013-03-24T01:25:55.387+08:00I think the problem with Taiwan rice is high price...I think the problem with Taiwan rice is high prices due to inefficiencies of small fields. There's not really any way for them to compete with large rice producers like Australia, Thailand, or the US. Age also plays a role with a young rice farmer generally being in his late 40's.<br /><br />I'd say the Chinese will face the same problems Taiwan is facing in agriculture which is lack of cheap labor, economies of scale nor affordable mechanization. I expect any experts who go over there to make a buck to do well, but not have any long term success nor be able to build any legacy. The Chinese govt connected firms and the people who run them have very little problem with capital in the same way you would have in Taiwan. <br /><br />I'd say Taiwan has a govt problem with farming and not a technical one. Taiwanese that I deal with, know their stuff inside and out and aren't held back by language. I normally have more trouble ordering food at McDonald's than I do with the ag people. The researchers and companies I deal with are bringing the products and expertise, but the market is very small and heavily fragmented due to govt intervention and distortion. Okaminoreply@blogger.com