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From: carnes@gargoyle.UUCP (Richard Carnes)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.sci
Subject: Re: Nuclear power vs Coal vs Alternatives
Message-ID: <524@gargoyle.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Jul-86 00:11:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: gargoyle.524
Posted: Mon Jul 14 00:11:30 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 15-Jul-86 01:32:36 EDT
References: <450@meccts.UUCP>
Reply-To: carnes@gargoyle.UUCP (Richard Carnes)
Organization: U. of Chicago, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 33
Xref: watmath net.politics:17341 net.sci:1240

[Michael Stein]
>A problem the "soft energy" advocates have is that they confuse the
>seperate issues of nuclear proliferation and nuclear power.  

What they do is point out the connections between the two issues.
How do you think India got its bomb?  It is absurd to claim there is
no connection between nuclear power and the proliferation of nuclear
weapons.  Do you mean to say you'd be perfectly happy to see Qaddhafi
with nuclear reactors and Libya swarming with nuclear scientists and
engineers?  Or Khomeini or Assad or your favorite mad dictator?

>(Radon gas collects in all homes and is especially
>prevalent in tightly insulated "solar" homes.)

Minor point here:  Most of the new energy-efficient homes have a
well-sealed basement and a vapor barrier inside masonry walls which
blocks some of the radon.  Some of them also have air-to-air heat
exchangers which increase ventilation.

I would like to recommend some salutary reading for dedicated
pro-nukers:  

- *Nukespeak:  The Selling of Nuclear Technology in America* by S.
  Hilgartner, R.C. Bell, and R. O'Connor; 
- *Nuclear America*, a recent book by a couple of historians (I 
  forget their names); 
- *The Cult of the Atom:  The Secret Papers of the AEC* by Daniel
  Ford;
- *We Almost Lost Detroit* by John G. Fuller.  This last is the story
of the near-meltdown of the Fermi breeder in 1966.  The title is no 
exaggeration.

Richard Carnes