America's Abundant Electricity and the ASME Boiler Code

The building of great steam power plants with utmost consideration for public safety has created today's American miracle of abundant electricity. Behind this great achievement stand the mechanical engineers who have designed and built these power plants under their ethical responsibilities for public safety, in full compliance with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler Code and under the strict disciplines imposed by a specialist insurance company willing to write 100 percent insurance coverage against boiler explosions. The historical origin of this great achievement dates back to the days of the Civil War and a small group of men with exceptional vision and a profound concern for public safety. They saw the opportunity to apply their talents and sense of responsibility to solving the problem of steam boiler explosions and the terrible losses of human lives. These early leaders have earned the esteem and honor of our present and future generations, but who remembers them? Today, in the scientific revolution of this century, there is a critical need for similar new leaders of exceptional integrity, responsibility, and initiative, both in engineering and in industry.     

Atomic Power-Who Looks After Public Safety?

In this new technology the history to date adds up to a very small record of operating experiences, along with a variety of deficiencies and failures. s. At this stage the development of atomic power suffers from a urge of over-optimistic promotion plus a general breakdown in engineering responsibility and control of safety that could culminate in a national catastrophe.     

Aeronomical balloon experiments

Aeronomical balloon observations can be divided into two categories: in situ measurements of atmospheric constituents and other physical parameters, and measurements of the atmospheric transmission characteristics of the layers above the balloon. The optical experiments, in the infrared, the visible, the ultraviolet and the X-ray parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are discussed in detail whereas a brief review is given of in situ measurements of atmospheric composition, of the electric field and of cosmic dust.     

Atomic Power: Fallacies and Facts

The first demonstration of atomic fission occurred in a laboratory thirty years ago (December 2, 1942). The first electricity from an experimental atomic power plant in the United States was produced fifteen years ago (December 18, 1957). Less than a dozen atomic power plants of significant size have been completed and started operating within the past five years; their brief record of operating experiences is grossly inadequate as a basis for responsible engineering (with absolute safety) and for committing large future investments in this new technology. However, in the utility industry, corporate wisdom and good judgment at the Board of Director level has been perverted by massive campaigns of overselling, irresponsible propaganda, and deliberate deception. This paper identifies some of the more common fallacies.     

Atomic Power Engineering under Falsified Safety Standards

In July 1970 the United States Department of Justice accused the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act and of acting in restraint of trade by restricting the ASME Certificate of Authorization and the use of the Code Symbol Stamps to boilers and pressure vessels manufactured in the United States and Canada. During the succeeding two years attorneys for the parties in the case formulated a Consent Decree without a public confrontation in the Court. Furthermore, the membership of ASME was kept uninformed until October of 1972, after the Consent and Final Judgment had become effective and new procedures had been developed for allowing foreign manufacturers to apply the ASME Code Symbol Stamps to their products. As a consequence, a breakdown in engineered safety standards has been sanctioned and this is undermining the engineering profession's overriding responsibility to protect the public health and safety. This breakdown of professional responsibility is especially serious in the new technology of atomic power. American insurance companies, which have traditionally written 100% insurance coverage for property damage and third party liability against explosions of high pressure steam boilers bearing the ASME Code Stamp, have refused to write such insurance coverage on nuclear reactors. In the author's opinion there is evidence that the Consent was formulated under collusive proceedings and he calls on the members and the Council of ASME to appeal for dismissal of the Consent Decree.     

Slow Death of a Free Profession

The Scientific Revolution of the twentieth century has been exploited and subverted in our country by the "political-scientific" complex. This complex has discarded our traditional system under which the planning and organizing of productive scientific ventures has been in the hands of responsible professional engineers whose first duty is to serve the best interests of the public. Instead, this complex originates and administers highly sophisticated sciencebased programs, whose open-ended deficit financing is rapidly undermining our American economic system. By this means America is gradually being committed to a system of centralized authority and to the eventual disappearance of human liberty and justice under law. This marks an historic turning point for the world and for all mankind. The scientific term for this process is "technocratic petrification of freedom" which ends in "scientific despotism."