Why You Should Believe In Nuclear Power (NASDAQ: RDIOACTIV)

As someone who has studied energy in this country both academically and as a hobby for years, I can tell you that the energy outlook in this country been more insane and non-sensical over the past decade than it has been in our country's history. (Not having been alive during the great oil transition of the early 20th century, though, I can't comment from personal experience.) Nevertheless, the nuclear power initiatives announced by President Obama today clears the muddied water to a great extent.

And the news is quite good.

President Obama announced that the federal government will pledge over $8 billion to construct two new power plants in Georgia. If these are completed, they will be the first brand-new nuclear reactors built in this country since the moratorium on new reactor construction foolishly implemented during a period of hysterics in the 1970's during the Carter administration. This move is phenomenal because it represents (hopefully) a return towards sanity and innovation in America's antiquated and woefully-unprepared energy infrastructure. It also promises to possibly end the seething hatred (I exaggerate slightly) I have had towards the Democrats when it comes to nuclear energy.

Of course, there are still plenty of tough questions to be asked regarding nuclear energy. But, I have questions for existing energy sources that I can use to match each and every 'tough' question facing nuclear power.

Question: Isn't nuclear waste toxic? Can't it damage the environment and make a lot of people sick for years?

Counter Question: Isn't coal-fired electricity (the most common type of power production in this country) horrifically dirty? Doesn't it damage the environment and fill our air (the substance we breathe) with millions and millions of tons of harmful pollutants per year?

There are several more feasible options in dealing with nuclear waste - reprocessing, glassification, etc. - than there are with dealing with the pollution from conventional power sources, which are infinitely more dangerous and - get this - have been affecting us daily for over the past century.

Question: Aren't nuclear power plants a possible terrorist target?

Counter Question: What isn't a possible terrorist target?

Terrorists could do far more damage to our country by striking conventional power production facilities that are a.) more numerous and b.) of a lower profile. A nuclear power plant can pump out more wattage annually than the best coal or hydro plant, which means less plants would be needed on average. Do with nuclear power like we did with the airline industry and create additional security measures - except this time, let's create something slightly less inept and backwards than the TSA, okay?

Question: Isn't uranium in short supply? What are we going to use to power all of those nuclear power plants? After all, coal is plentiful.

Counter Question: Isn't coal ridiculously dirty to extract and develop? Isn't oil supply tight and set to grow even tighter? Isn't hydroelectric power not feasible in most places in the United States? Etc.

Nuclear power has more options for fuel than does any other energy source in the world - period. Even solar energy is more heavily limited, because while the sun is limitless (well, to us anyway), means to turn that sunlight into fuel aren't. Thorium is an extremely promising and plentiful fuel source for nuclear reactors. Plus, when you factor in advanced nuclear technology that is currently being developed (mostly outside of the United States, mind you), the problems with fuel supply are not as daunting as those with every other fuel source.

Question: Isn't nuclear power dangerous? I mean, I don't want one In My Backyard.

Counter Question: Isn't the coal industry more dangerous than nuclear power? Hasn't it resulted in more deaths than nuclear power?

While it seems like I'm picking on coal (oh, let's admit it, I am), most mainstream power sources have complications and elements of danger involved in them. Nuclear power is as safe - if not more so - than the local, non-nuclear power plant in your community. Americans have been scared stiff by isolated incidents like Chernobyl (in the Ukraine, people, the modern-day equivalent of medieval...well, Ukraine) and Three-Mile Island. As a result, we are scared of our shadows when it comes to nuclear power - and just about everything else these days.

(What would the pioneers of the Oregon Trail and other frontier computer games you played as a kid think of us today?)

The problems with nuclear power require thought - but no less than the problems with energy we are facing today. I will take the uncertainty of an innovative future rather than the certainty of a destructive and dead end present any day of the week.

The question is this: Will you?