WORRIED ABOUT A CLEAN ENERGY BILL

Experts mull clean energy
Josh Stilts, January 27, 2011 (Brattleboro Reformer)

"There is no room for nuclear power and coal in a clean energy standard…three experts on the effects of non-renewable energy sources said…[and added that] Congress and the Obama Administration need to clearly define what clean energy is.

"The definition needs to be based on what the major environmental impacts are going to have in the future, Arjun Makhijani, president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research said…[because there is] no perfectly clean source…Wind turbines, for example, can obstruct views and various animals' flight paths, but the structures can be taken apart and the materials recycled down to nearly every bolt and screw, he said…"

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"Dr. Alan Lockwood, professor of nuclear medicine and neurology at the University of Buffalo in New York, and past president of Physicians for Social Responsibility, called for the closing of all coal-burning plants…[because] closing the coal plants will not only save thousands of lives, it will also save millions of dollars in health care…[and clean coal is] a myth that fits nicely on billboards…[but coal] is dirty at every stage [from mining to transport to burning]…"

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"Scott Sklar, chairman of the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Energy Coalition and adjunct professor at George Washington University, said several studies have stated that coal plants put out more radiation than most nuclear power plants…Building a smarter, more efficient electric grid, made primarily of renewable energy sources is the only way the United States will be able to stop relying on coal and nuclear power, he added…

"If the term clean energy isn't clearly defined, any business can use it for their financial gains, Makhijani said…He warned that if nuclear power is utilized as the main source of energy, other countries will follow and radioactive waste disposal will be an insolvable global problem…Nuclear power, which is often referred to as a source of clean energy, creates large amounts of radioactive waste that no one knows how to deal with, Makhijani said…[which is] dumping the consequences on our children…"