Nuclear power

Energy in North America (and the world) is overwhelmingly derived from fossil fuels. But the combustion of oil, coal, and natural gas is exacting a terrible toll: heating the planet and melting the polar ice caps; acidifying the oceans; and releasing particulate air pollution that, by one estimate, kills 50,000 -100,000 people every year in America alone. Clearly, we need alternatives.

One alternative is nuclear fission. In fact, already this low-carbon method of energy generation accounts for about 14% of the world's electricity; 15% in Canada, 20% in the US, and in certain countries the percentage is much higher.

But large swaths of the voting public are dead-set against nuclear power generation, and believe that not only should no new reactors be built, but that existing ones should be brought offline as soon as possible. Many people, it seems, are willing to accept nothing less than a nuclear-free, low-carbon near future; and presumably they believe this to be a realistic goal.

Here's why I am not one of these people.