TED TURNER ON THE URGENCY OF NEW ENERGY

Ted Turner puts his money to work tackling global issues
Henry Unger, April 23, 2011 (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

"…[Ted Turner is tackling] some of the planet’s biggest messes with his money — a running total of $1.5 billion to the U.N. and a variety of environmental and anti-nuclear causes — and his mouth…"

[Turner:] “My top priority is nuclear weapons because they can end it all in an afternoon…There’s going to be a nuclear-weapons accident [like the nuclear power plant disaster in Japan]…We need to get rid of all nuclear weapons immediately…”

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"That same style takes hold when he talks about our reliance on oil and coal."

[Turner:] “The days of fossil fuels are over…The trouble is we’re going to run out of atmosphere first…[And who] wants to have a nuclear power plant in their backyard today?…I think clean, reliable energy should be our top priority…”

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"Turner is involved with promoting clean energy, favoring solar, wind and geothermal projects. He has reservations about natural gas and opposes the resurgence of nuclear power…[In the Turner Enterprises parking lot in downtown Atlanta] he has installed solar panels to help power the building…

"….The federal government should phase out subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, he believes, and transfer that money to beefing up alternative energy sources…He recently teamed up with Atlanta-based Southern Co. and the local power cooperative serving Cimarron, N.M., on a big solar project there…"