We’re in favor of alternative energy forms.
But it’s much too soon for lawmakers to pass a bill, like House Bill 1320, that will allow researchers and the Corporation Commission to begin investigating future nuclear power plant possibilities in Oklahoma.
Rep. Mike Reynolds, R—Oklahoma City, is leading the charge to put nuclear energy on the table (see Page 1 for details.) But Reynolds, and other lawmakers in support of HB 1320, are missing the bigger picture.
Approving nuclear energy initiatives ignores the fact that researchers have yet to determine how to safely dispose of nuclear waste. Most efforts by lawmakers – both local and national – to tap into nuclear resources are based on the assumption that researchers will develop safe avenues to dispose of nuclear waste. We think this dilemma deserves attention and, until a solution is reached, discussion about nuclear energy should be put on hold.
Until then, lawmakers should focus their attention more on wind and solar energy related research. How to store wind and solar energy long-term are questions that have yet to be answered. Oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens said American is the “Saudi Arabia of wind power.” Efforts directed towards methods to harbor this energy long-term could be permanently beneficial.
Pickens’ plan to harbor wind energy and tap into natural gas resources not only would loosen the oil-powered stranglehold foreign countries have on America. It would spur the economy in Oklahoma, where both wind and natural gas development could create numerous jobs and research opportunities. Nuclear efforts, by contrast, would do less for Oklahoma, since no local higher education institution has nuclear programs.
Investigating nuclear energy possibilities might be a worthwhile endeavor sometime in the future. Until many of the unsolved problems are fixed, though, our money and efforts should be directed elsewhere.
The Oklahoma Daily is pleased to provide you the opportunity to share your thoughts about this article. We encourage lively debate on the issues of the day, but we ask you refrain from using profanity or other offensive speech, engaging in personal attacks or name-calling, posting advertising, or straying from the topic at hand. To comment, you must be a registered user of OUDaily.com. Thanks for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Log in | Register
RD 3 years, 3 months ago
Nuclear power must be part of the energy mix. I am all for solar and wind power but we need the proven reliability of nuclear energy to slow global warming and attain energy independence. The nuclear waste issue can be resolved by recycling at the plants. This is already being done in France where nearly 80% of energy comes from nuclear.
Building more nuclear power plants would help stimulate the economy and create many good-paying jobs. A number of environmentalists are reconsidering their opposition to nuclear. Dr. Patrick Moore, the founder of Greenpeace now supports nuclear energy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsiE3L...
I would encourage anyone interested in exploring the subject to read a very informative article on nuclear power from the Scientific American. http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=next-generation-nuclear