It's time we went nuclear

I read the letter about "Spill Baby Spill" and the oil companies. It is sad what Big Oil and Old King Coal are trying to tell us. But I was very happy to read one of the leading scientists and climate change experts, James Hansen, in his new book, "Storms of My Grandchildren," say that we have one more huge answer to the fossil fuel energy problem right under our noses. As we gear up for solar and wind, we will probably need a smart grid needed to deliver this energy. Homeowners can install geothermal. These are all good, and needed, but nuclear can deliver a lot of power from each installation.

The nuclear energy key must be re-addressed. The safety of the current third generation nuclear power plants is unsurpassed by any other comparable energy system. Witness big oil. Also coal-fired power plants are responsible for at least one percent of the respiratory deaths in the country.

Nuclear is one energy form that China and India can get going on. Carbon capture and sequestration of CO2 from emissions from Old King Coal raises the price of using coal. And what if the CO2 leaks out of the deep underground storage areas? Costs a lot to put it there, too.

When we get to fourth generation nuclear, we can use the radioactive waste we have to fuel these nuclear power plants. We have to go nuclear. The safety factors have not been understood. When Chernobyl was built there was no containment built into it. Three Mile Island, the only U.S. nuclear accident, had no measurable problems resulting from it.

We have to weigh our options and get going with whatever is the most feasible. We have a lot to do. As Hansen says, let's do it for our children and grandchildren! For future generations. We owe it to them.

Sandra Kaptain

ECCO

Elgin Climate Change Organization