Nuclear power is no silver bullet

Tom Robey Oct. 2, 2006 From the print edition

Nuclear power cannot solve all our energy needs. Greenpeace founder Patrick Moore thinks a greater amount of our power should come from nuclear energy. However, it’s unsuitable for anything beyond baseload demand because nuclear power plants cannot be easily turned on and off. There are ways around this, but they add considerably to the already high cost. Saying nuclear energy can satisfy our energy demands is like saying that there is enough wind on the Plains to satisfy all our energy needs: Both are theoretically true, but in practical terms horribly misleading.

Tom Robey
Santa Fe, New Mexico

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