Alternative Power

The always interesting Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit) linked to this almost three year old piece on Robert F Kennedy, Jr, opposing a wind farm off the coast of Cape Code. This item is dated 12 January 2006. Has this been dragging on this long? Actually, this 12 January 2006 article talks about the four years before it was published. So make it at least seven years. It has been dragging on so long that we have switched from worrying about Global Warming to worrying about Climate Change.

My personal opinion is that even if you think "global warming" is junk science, the fact is that we are importing oil at a level that is NOT sustainable and we need to do something about it. That makes it a national security issue in my mind. We are on a path than can not be sustained over the long run. On the other hand, the fact that we are exporting coal to the Middle East is a good thing in my estimation. We are earning revenue. My thanks to the coal miners of Appalachia.

Now we have a report in the Manchester Guardian that Hyperion is working on aminiature nuclear reactor and has an order for 100. I vaguely recall something about this back at the beginning of the year and sure enough the Air Force is quoted as wanting to go "off grid" with small nuclear power generating systems.

It sure would be nice if there was some public debate here in the Commonwealth as to whether this is one of the directions in which we wish to head. Do you think anybody up on Beacon Hill is thinking about this?

Regards -- Cliff