Rather than writing an incredibly long post addressing all my thoughts on all the various forms of commerical energy, I’m going to take them one at a time as events occur.

News canada.com network

4 dead, seven injured in worst-ever accident at Japanese nuclear plant

Sounds pretty bad huh? Here’s my perspective:

The number of miners killed on the job in the United States fell to a historic low of 67 last year, with Kentucky leading the nation with nine coalfield deaths.

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration said 2002′s total was the lowest since the federal government began keeping records in 1910.

Every year, hundreds of miners die mining coal. Coal is pretty harsh on the environment as well, but still remains the primary source of energy for the entire world.

People are scared to death of nuclear energy. It’s complicated. The word radiation signifies a horrible death.

But yet, every year, many times the number of people are killed by coal than nuclear energy.

People say nuclear energy destroys the environment, just look at Chernobyl for example. Although that’s true, look at the affects of coal. You’ve acid rain, stripped mountains, poisoned rivers, and sludge that has actually destroyed entire towns. The damages of coal energy are already evident, the world is trying to reverse that damage now. Countries ( US and Canada particularly ), are arguing over which country has damaged the other most. The threats of nuclear energy are speculative for the most part, the threats of coal energy are real.

And, as conrtibuted by Ed (I’m guessing), coal power plants actually contribute more radiation to the environment than nuclear plants! (I am awaiting a lengthy comment from Ed on this topic now, and when I get it, will most likely just post it as his own contribution.)

Bottom line, France and Japan particularly have proven that nuclear power can be harnessed in a safe and environmentally friendly way. Although we have to deal with nuclear waste in a tedious fashion now, once man accepts nuclear power more readily, other forms of nuclear energy are much safer end environmentally less threatening.

We to start moving out of the stone age of energy and looking to the future.