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NUCLEAR
POWER–
WHAT
KIND OF
BARGAIN?
22
D
o the benefits of nuclear
power outweigh the risk
?
Those who think the answer
is ye!:> maintain that nuclear power is
probably the on ly hope for the sur–
viva ! of our energy-dependent civ–
ilization. Without nuclear power.
ad voca te~
assen . the U.S. and many
other nation will be more and more
depend ent on ever-increasing im–
po rtsof costly Middle Eastoil. If we
don ' t pay thc price, the argument
goes. we ultimately face blackou ts,
eco nomic d e press ion, ma ss ive
un employmcnt , and inevitable total
deterioration of our entirc way of
life. lndccd. the U.S. is now impon–
ing a lmost as much oi l as it pro–
duces. We rcally ha ve no viable
a lte rna te to nu clear power. say
proponents.
By contrast. cri tics see nuclear
powcr as a technological monster
tha t not only gobbles up billions of
taxpaycrs' dollars with no real guar–
antee of bcnefits, but a lso th rea tens
th e health and lives of untold mil-
lions of hapless human beings. A
nuclear cata trophe. ay opponents.
is too big a price to pay for your
elec tric bill.
The result
i!:.
that fcw public de–
bates have generated more emot ion
and controversy tha n th ose on the
question of nucl ear energy.
Those who favor nucl ear energy
ex tol it as a viable source of cheap
energy. whil e those who oppose it
say we a re toy ing with an incredibly
risky mort gage on our future.
In Search of Energy
The wholc question of atomi c en–
ergy ca n on ly be properly under–
stood in the context of the energy
crisis. As Amcrica and the whole
world for that matter - grapples
with an energy crisis that threa tens
to drast ically alter our way of life.
nucl ear energy of'ten seems to be a
way out.
We're running low on oil and nat–
ura l gas. Domestic production of
th ese two fu els has been declining
The
PLAIN TRUTH August 1976