Proliferation :: Politics Environmental Economics Essays

Proliferation There are legitimate concerns that people can have about a reliance on nuclear power. The biggest problem being that we need to find a place to put all of the waste. However the amount of waste that is the result of one person in their lifetime could be held in one’s hand. If residents got over their NIMBY complex then waste disposal could go by much quicker. It is imperative that the government officials choose adequate sites to store the waste but residents need to realize what must be done and allow them to do what they need to do. It will benefit everyone if residents around Yucca Mountain realized that the future of this country relies on nuclear power. However, it is necessary that we not rely solely on non-renewable energy sources. John Kerry wanted 20% of our nation’s electricity generation to come from renewable sources. This is currently the percentage that nuclear energy provides right now. Although nuclear energy may be a better alternative than coal, it is necessary that we utilize nature’s natural power as well. Solar, wind, and hydroelectric power should all play a role in the future of this country as well. One of the biggest problems with these three kinds of energy is that they are not constant providers of energy and cannot adjust well to changing demands. While hydroelectric power can always be provided from Hoover Dam, this is not true for dams in the frozen Northeast of the country. However, they can dramatically bolster our energy needs. The government should encourage utilities to offer incentives to customers to use less power. Although this may seem to be counter-productive for the utilities if they want to make money, it is a necessary step that our society must take if we want to have a sustainable future. Solar panels or a wind turbine could be used for private use as a way to supplement the power that they receive from the local power-plant’s grid. Every little bit can help if it was a nation-wide movement. Coal is not that bad. We are continuing to make advances in coal technology and scrubbers have greatly reduced the amount of Sulfur and Nitrous Oxides along with particulates that enter our atmosphere. We can even control the amount of CO 2 that we emit. By pumping it into aquifers under the ground it will stall the gas into entering the atmosphere for the time being.