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Editorial: Guest Editorial: A Native`s Case for Florida Hometown Democracy
October 3rd, 2009

Editorial: Budget of Sugarcreek Goes Modern
October 1st, 2009

Editorial: Is Nothing Sacred?
September 17th, 2009

Editorial: Great Expectations
September 2nd, 2009

Editorial: Helping the Levy County Budget
August 6th, 2009

Editorial: WUFT-FM to Delete Music for Cedar Key
July 28th, 2009

Editorial: Governor Crist Balks on Appointment
July 9th, 2009

Editorial: Affordable Housing in Cedar Key
July 6th, 2009

Editorial: The Greening of Cedar Key
June 25th, 2009

Editorial: Unanimous Consent to Suspend the Rules
June 12th, 2009

Editorial: Cutting the Cost of Garbage Collection
May 27th, 2009

Editorial: America Must Support Chinese Democracy Seekers
March 23rd, 2009

Editorial: Membership Appeal
February 20th, 2009

Editorial: Cutting Health Care Costs
January 10th, 2009

Editorial: 2008 and Some Fearless Predictions
December 30th, 2008

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Status of Nuclear Power as Savior

Status of Nuclear Power as Savior

Editor

On the anniversary of the continuing disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant the Japanese are reevaluating their commitment to nuclear power as an answer to environmentally sensible electricity dependence. On March 8 Japanese officials shut down 52 of Japan`s 54 nuclear power plants. The Prime Minister supports phase-out of nuclear power. German policy is going in the same direction. One more disaster like Chernobyl, Fukushima or Three Mile Island and other nations may follow suit.


The Fukushima disaster had three fatal factors: poor site choice, poor plant design and inadequate government oversight. The location at sea level opened the door to flooding. Backup power supply for cooling pumps was poorly designed. Failure of the Japanese government to require safer siting and design exacerbated the disaster.


Closer to home, much closer, the Levy County nuclear power plant proposed by Progress Energy must be reevaluated in light of the Fukushima catastrophe. The nearby Crystal River nuclear power plant owned by Progress Energy suffers from poor siting, at sea level. It is also an example of poor design in that it is the six plants of similar design four have had problems. (Details upon request.)


The flooding in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 have demonstrated that the U.S. government oversight and responses are no more reassuring than the oversight and response in Japan.


Recognition of carbon dioxide as the cause of global warming is clear to all but the willfully ignorant and the oil and coal industries. Burning oil, gas and coal produces carbon dioxide.


Solar and wind as answers to global warming are long-term solutions. Conservation, in contrast to NASCAR charm, must be a bigger factor if we are to survive. Does anyone other than emergency vehicles need to go more than 60 mph? The G.M. hybrid automobile has a 175 horse power engine to charge the batteries and has a top speed of 100 mph. What madness! Fifty years ago cars with half that power could go 100 mph. Conservation will not come from Detroit. Conservation will come from a public that rewards better design.

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