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Nuclear Power: Liberal bias and science

Mr. Porter oversimplifies his argument that there is liberal bias at work when environmentally concerned individuals oppose or question nuclear power. Indeed, the argument reflects the lack of holistic thinking that is often evident in energy arguments.

He notes that nuclear power generates no greenhouse gases…well, that is true to a point…after all we must mine the uranium and that takes power…but he misses the big picture with regard to the environment.

Nuclear Power ReyclingNuclear power generates highly polluting waste from the mining of uranium that we do not handle very well…and as I have noted in other posts, generates waste products after the uranium is used to generate power for which we have never developed a rational or sensible long term storage solution.

Further, nuclear power fails the test for sustainability on so many levels that it is almost impossible to state them all in a blog…Here are just a few:

  • Due to the risks inherent in the plants, we as taxpayers subsidize nuclear on orders of magnitude higher levels than it deserves.
  • It is the public that will have to subsidize the storage for millennia. Reanuclear power
    lly, millennia…and what is the longest single surviving civilization?
  • Did I mention the waste product is deadly.
  • Nuclear waste is not well secured on a global basis…and yet we worry about dirty bombs…so our solution…make more waste.

No, myopic thinking about climate change and the “benefits” of nuclear power hurts our ability to curb climate change. Here’s a thought…put all of the cost of the next three proposed nuclear power plants into energy conservation efforts and clean power.

Read the full article:
Liberal Biases, Too, May Block Progress on Climate Change
Limited free access; NY Times subscription may be required.

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