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Brantford Expositor – Ontario, CA

The ethics of energy
THE EXPOSITOR By KELLYGASCOIGNE (Canada) 2 Dec 08 “…………………The ethics behind a government’s energy policy can mean a huge change in the impact we are having on the environment and the economy………………………….Nuclear energy produces a large amount of electricity but, at every stage of production, has huge risks. The mining of radioactive materials to power nuclear plants causes waste products to pollute nearby communities. If problems strike — terrorism, natural disaster, a plant malfunction — nuclear power is very dangerous. Look at the effects of Chernobyl.

Even if a nuclear plant functions perfectly during its 30 to 40 year life-span, the radioactive materials being processed must be disposed of as radioactive waste. Eventually, the plant itself becomes radioactive waste. So although nuclear power provides a huge amount of energy while a plant is running, it is prohibitively expensive to build and then dispose of and is environmentally dangerous. Economically nuclear power is very costly……………we are still paying for the debt created by Ontario’s nuclear power plants built years ago. Check out your electricity bill. The “debt retirement charge” on your bill, refers to our repayment of the $35-million overrun……………………… the current plan for the Ontario government is to commit $40 billion to new and expanded nuclear plants.

What would our province’s energy mix look like if instead that $40 billion was spent on alternative, “green” energy production and on conservation? This ethical decision seems clear. For our health now and for many future generations to come alternative energy sources need to be taken seriously.

When the Ontario government is considering buy-outs to help Ontario’s manufacturing sector, maybe ethics should be a part of their decision making and the jobs created should be green jobs. Short-sighted planning is not ethical leadership.

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Brantford Expositor – Ontario, CA

December 1, 2008 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , , | Leave a comment

Panel debates bombing Iran nuclear sites

Panel debates bombing Iran nuclear sites
FinalCall.com News By Ali GharibUpdated Dec 1, 2008, – WASHINGTON (IPS/GIN) – At this year’s National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations meeting, much of the focus was on the Arab Middle East’s ethnic Persian neighbor to the east: Iran.

A question-and-answer session of a panel on Iraq and Iran in late October was a microcosm of the chatter around Washington all year long about the ebbing and flowing likelihood of a potential U.S. bombing run against alleged secret Iranian nuclear sites.

No one on the panel—a collection of a statesman, military brass, and experts—thought an attack on Iran was imminent, or even would likely happen in a longer view, but that did not stop the debate about the merits and drawbacks of a U.S. strike.

Panel debates bombing Iran nuclear sites

December 1, 2008 Posted by | weapons and war | , , , | Leave a comment

Robert Fox: The nuclear issue hasn’t gone away | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

The nuclear issue hasn’t gone awayAnd the IAEA’s latest report on Iran has some harsh words for the regime. With Bush mindful of his legacy, this phoney war could soon turn real
The Guardian Robert Fox September 16 2008 “………………….the latest report from the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) shows the problem hasn’t gone away. The shorter the IAEA’s reports, the tougher they get………………………………..The IAEA says Iran has improved greatly in devising techniques for enriching nuclear fuels. It now is running 3,800 centrifuges, adding to the total by several hundred a month. The report claims that it has already achieved one third of the fissile material it would require for a nuclear weapon. But that weapon could be ready by the end of next year………………..Iran could now become the dominant crisis in the closing weeks of the Bush presidency…………………….All eyes will be on Israel, where the debate about taking pre-emptive action against Iran has been running all summer……………………….George Bush may see Iran as the ultimate test of his pre-emptive security strategy, the so-called “Bush doctrine”

Robert Fox: The nuclear issue hasn’t gone away | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

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September 17, 2008 Posted by | weapons and war | , | Leave a comment

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