Why am I so passionate about nuclear energy?

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Today is Blog Action Day 2009 and this year's topic is Climate Change.

Is man made climate change real or not? Heck, I don't know. What I DO know is this: whether or not human activity is causing global warming or not, there are certain things that it just makes sense for us to be doing.

We need to wean ourselves off of imported fossil fuels as our primary energy source. Oil and gas won't last forever and prices are sure to rise as supplies dwindle and demand grows. Imported fossil fuels come from places in the world that have amassed huge amounts of wealth at our expense. A lot of that money is funding people who want to kill us and destroy the freedoms that millions of people have died to earn and to protect.

We should stop burning coal because it is polluting our air and water with arsenic, mercury, acid rain, and particulate matter that we know is killing tens of thousands of people each year. Thousands more die each year digging coal out of the ground.

We need to become energy independent so that the countries that supply our fossil fuel addiction will no longer have influence on our foreign policies and internal business.

We need to create high paying jobs for our people producing energy that we make at home, and energy products we can export to the rest of the world. This will improve our standard of living and ensure our children and grandchildren have at least as good a life as we have.

We need to respect the environment and choose a way of life that is both sustainable and supports a high standard of living.

We need to find a way to help the less fortunate people of the world to rise out of poverty. Access to plentiful, low cost, clean energy is the single most important factor in raising the standard of living of a society.

I live and work in the United States, but that is not relevant; all of these same basic principles apply regardless of where you live.

I am an engineer and an experienced manager. I could make a good living in any industry. I choose to work in the nuclear industry because I believe in the technology and the great contributions that nuclear power does and will do for society. Nuclear energy can help us accomplish all of these lofty goals. I know this in my head and in my heart. Nuclear energy is not perfect, no source of energy is. When used wisely and with respect energy from the atom helps us make the world a better place for ourselves, and all future generations.

Peace!

John Wheeler

Blog Action Day 2009