X-Message-Number: 9867
Date: Sun, 7 Jun 1998 01:47:10 -0400
From: "Stephen W. Bridge" <>
Subject: In-house LN2 production

To CryoNet
From Steve Bridge, Alcor Foundation
June 6, 1998
 
In reply to:
 
Message #9836
From: "den Otter" <>
Subject: Liquid nitrogen plants & some other ideas
Date: Mon, 1 Jun 1998 16:56:03 +0200
 
Thanks to Paul Wakfer (#9845) for the explanation (clearer than the one I
was preparing) about in-house LN2 production and why it is not a major
consideration for cryonics companies today.  To add a couple of other
points:
 
Right now none of the cryonics companies are dependent on only one source
of LN2.  Phoenix has at least two production plants, with more expensive
(because of distance) emergency capability in Southern California and Las
Vegas.  I believe the other storage facilities (being located near major
urban areas) have a similar situation.
 
Not only would it be more expensive than it would be worth to purchase a
LN2 machine at this time, one must also allocate room for it.  And I doubt
if any of us have looked at what kinds of regulation and licensing such a
manufacturing device might entail.  Maybe none, but I doubt it.
 
"den Otter" also says "A facility like this could easily be made so that
it's safe from natural disasters."  I'm surprised Paul didn't jump on that
one more quickly.  Perhaps it depends on one's definition of "easy;" but I
think it is one hell of a lot of *work* to build such a building, not to
mention expensive.  Paperwork alone can drive you crazy.
 
Also, "den Otter" and others seem to have the idea that buildings as far
away from civilization as possible must be the best place for patient
storage.  Personally, I don't see it that way.  Yes, you don't want your
building in the center of the highest crime area of a city; but there are
plenty of relatively safe suburban areas near large cities.  Cryonics in
general is a high tech enterprise, and becoming more so every year.  We
need access to the kinds of technology available in large cities with
hospitals, medical research, science libraries, and tech engineers of all
kinds if we are to IMPROVE cryonics.
 
Yes, you could move into a missile base on the edge of nowhere if what you
wanted was complete isolation and only wanted to store patients.  But
cryonics is also about getting patients into suspension and getting them
out again.  We are not the Egyptians storing mummies.  We also need access
to major airports and highways for transportation so we can GET to our
members.
 
Besides, those missible silos are stripped, even of the wiring in the
walls, and often full of water (Alcor people have looked at two of them
over the years).  It would be incredibly expensive to make them functional
for patient storage.  Not simple; not cheap.
 
Once we are large enough that we could afford to place the more passive
part of the cryonics operation (patient storage) at a location remote from
the emergency, administrative, and research parts we might consider some
of these scenarios again.  Right now, though, it is more efficient to keep
the entire operation in one or two nearby locations.
 
Steve Bridge

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