Is nuclear power a viable alternative fuel?

Is nuclear power a viable alternative fuel to help solve the global climate and energy crisis? Absolutely not, I say. Should Indian Point be closed down and converted to a renewable kind of energy source? As soon as possible, I declare. I believe we need to move in a clean and friendly direction and the first thing nuclear energy requires is environmentally destructive mining for uranium, plutonium and thorium. Then the byproduct of nuclear energy is radioactive waste that last for thousands or million of years. There is no practical place to put a substance that remains highly toxic for millions of years, in my opinion. Right now the spent fuel rods are placed in pools on premises, making quite attractive targets for terrorists. The plants themselves are also terrorist targets. If a bomb was somehow snuck into a reactor on a windy day, it could devastate an entire region. Another truth is that the global supplies of uranium, plutonium and thorium are limited and will eventually run out. If humans could find a way to develop renewable energy resources, we would never have to worry about running out. The way most people feel when they see a nuclear power plant is odious, at best. You just know there is something wrong with it, especially Indian Point which is square in the middle of the residential lower Hudson Valley. You believe people who live near it are unfortunate. You say things like, "imagine living near that thing." It makes being a Stony Point resident kind of bittersweet, as I have a view of the plant from my backyard. This is just a natural reaction almost everyone has. At the Indian Point facility, it has recently been discovered that there is a "small" radioactive leak seeping into the river. Perhaps the leak is not so damaging in its own right, but given the fact that this particular power plant has a questionable safety record, is considered one of the top potential terrorist targets in the nation, lacks a feasible evacuation plan and has been the subject of a large movement and discussion in the region, it ought to be taken as an indication of more trouble brewing. Democratic candidate for Congress and singer-songwriter John Hall, at a recent candidate's debate in Stony Point, held a 38-page report in his hand that he said offered a viable plan to convert the Indian Point facility into a renewable energy facility, without costing any jobs. I say lets go for it. Yes, it will be difficult to replace nuclear power on the energy grid but if there is a national and global focus on efficiency, conservation and developing renewable energy I believe it is possible. The real issue over nuclear power is that we need to make major changes if society is to survive and advance. Humanity must stop trying to imitate and compete with nature and work with it instead. There are scores of potential renewable energy technologies, many which we've never even heard of. There is also the potential of creating "perpetual motion" machines, which many inventors claim exist. It all needs to be investigated with a very open heart, so we can stop creating power plants that pollute the world.

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