Energy Pragmatism

Reader Jerry Nolan writes: “Most greens who advocate wind, solar, and conservation are anti-nuclear,” and he’s 100% correct in this.  However, like my friend, GreenTech Media’s Stephen Lacy (pictured), I think of myself as an “energy pragmatist.”  This means, at a minimum, that I keep an open mind about the pros and cons of all forms of energy—especially nuclear, since it can take on so many radically different forms.

It also means that we need to confront the cold, hard truth about the enormity of the problem we’re trying to solve, i.e., finding a new source for 15 terawatts of power, 80% of which currently comes from burning hydrocarbons.  Very few people who are rabidly anti-nuclear have any idea how much damage coal causes each day.