All of us know that a dramatic spike in worldwide oil prices has pushed the cost of gasoline to $4 a gallon and even more, and made energy a domestic political issue in a way it has not been since the days of the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s. And for reducing our dependence on foreign oil the present Republican presidential contender, Sen. J. McCain has proposed to set the USA on a course to build 45 new nuclear reactors by 2030 with a longer-term goal of adding another 55 in the future.
Indeed, the 104 nuclear reactors currently operating around the country produce about 20% of the nation’s annual electricity needs.
But what about solving numerous problems of moving and storing nuclear materials that will need a very high level of safeguarding in growing threat of possible terrorist attacks? And all this is proposed in conditions when we have not built a single nuclear plant in over 30 years, and our manufacturing base to even construct these plants is almost gone! Well, I declare!
There is ample evidence that McCain’s calls, devoted to such panicky issue as energy one, is the next pre-election trick of the Republican presidential nominee with the aim of gaining our confidence and winning election race!