"No to nuclear power, solar energy first"

One of the big news items of the weekend is Ralph Nader's decision to run for President in 2008. Nader supporters and detractors alike are familiar with his career, his contributions to society and his influence on the American political landscape.

But what does this have to do with technology, which is what this blog is about?

Well, one of Nader's positions is "No to nuclear power, solar energy first". At first glance this seems like a self-contradictory position for an alternative energy support. Both nuclear power and solar energy are practically limitless sources of energy compared to fossil fuels. So why choose one specifically over the other? The answers are in this article Why Not Nuclear Power?. The arguments are related to safety (not just the safety of the reactor but the safe disposal of nuclear wastes which can contaminate for centuries) and economics. The WWF's position paper has further details and lays out the vision for the future of energy.

Technorati Tags: energy, nader, nuclear,solar

Comments

anjali said…

A Nader fan? Wow, interesting. I should look at his policies in more detail. Pity he'll never win though.

March 4, 2008 at 5:50 PM

Unknown said…

@angeli: Yes, a Nader fan. I agree he'll never win but his presence encourages debate.

March 4, 2008 at 8:45 PM

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