We can all breathe a sigh of relief next spring when the last working reactor at Indian Point powers down. 20 million people in the 50-mile radius of the 40-year-old nuclear generator can sleep more soundly and future generations will thank us for no longer producing high level radioactive waste that will bedevil the country and our community for years to come.
Not Clean or Carbon Free
Anything that is manufactured has a carbon footprint. Nuclear power is low carbon – not carbon free. When calculating the true carbon footprint of any fuel you must look at the entire fuel cycle from cradle to grave. For nuclear power this means from mining uranium to disposing of the high-level radioactive waste. Sustainable energy is the goal that all fuels must be measure against. The best definition of sustainable energy is from Harlem Brundtland, a former Norwegian Prime Minister; “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
-Marilyn Elie
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