(John Robert Behrman is an economist and fifth-generation Texan. He is Executive Vice-Chair of the Progressive Populist Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party and State Committeeman for Senate District 13 writing his column here on Texas Kaos with his personal views only. - promoted by boadicea)
Self-proclaimed genius Newt GINGRICH has given John McCAIN and the GOP a clever, new gimmick-platform or, at least, slogan: "Drill Now, Drill Here, Pay Less!" This sounds like an energy policy. It may even work in the mass media for campaign purposes unless and until Democrats, especially in Texas, come up with something even more attractive and credible, not to mention practical and immediate, according to The Washington Independent.
In fact, there is nothing new in what the GOP proposes or has done for decades. That is clearly perverse: Crony capitalism, financial engineering, domestic subsidies, and foreign adventurism have failed by traditional national economic, global strategic or planetary ecology measures.
(Well done diary. Promoting to raise the discussion. Definitely looking for the series. - promoted by krazypuppy)
(Part 1 - The Fear Factor)
Most of us give little thought about where our electricity comes from, or how it is generated. We are very far removed from the process, so it is easy to take flipping on a light switch for granted. The electrons coursing through the transmission lines have to originate somewhere. Something must be used to supply the power to meet our needs (and wants). Lately there has been much discussion about "clean coal," nuclear energy, wind turbines, solar-generated power, and other emerging technologies with the goal of supplying our country's energy needs in a more sustainable manner. The pundits who claim global warming is a hoax are finally being pushed to the edges of the debate, and the majority of people on the planet seem to be willing to make changes to help right the situation. But, in order to make good decisions, we must be educated on the all possibilities out there today. This series is going to be an attempt to explain some of the pros and cons of nuclear energy, comparing it to coal, which is its chief competitor in the marketplace. I will hit upon some of the other technologies, but my focus will be on nuclear power (at the request of boadicea).
Nuclear energy is a very complex issue, so I plan to break this topic up into smaller sections, if there is interest in continuing on this subject. (I know some of you out there find long posts a drag.) Part 1 is a basic introduction to nuclear power and addresses our fear of releasing radiation into the environment. Part 2 (if continued) will be the actual design of the power plants, how they generate the electricity, and more about the waste products produced. Part 3 will delve into a little bit of atomic chemistry with an attempt to explain radioactivity, a nuclear reaction, and what actually goes on inside a nuclear reactor. Part 4 will be an overview of health effects from nuclear radiation, DNA repair mechanisms, and health effects from other contaminants currently being spewed forth in the race for cheap power. And finally, if anyone is still awake, I plan to wrap up and provide a little economic info on the issue in Part 5. Feel free to ask questions, and I will do my best to track down an answer for you. Okay, that is the plan.....on to Part 1: Addressing our fear.
Iran took a major leap toward a fully functional Nuclear Weapons Program according to its President:
Iran has successfully enriched uranium for the first time, a landmark in its quest to develop nuclear fuel, hard-liner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday.
“I formally declare that Iran has joined the club of nuclear countries,” he told an audience that included top military commanders and clerics in the northwestern holy city of Mashhad.
Memo to Bush. um, Don't you remember saying in your 2004 debates with John Kerry that Nuclear Containment was the number one foreign policy issue for your administration in the 2nd term?
Self-proclaimed genius Newt GINGRICH has given John McCAIN and the GOP a clever, new gimmick-platform or, at least, slogan: "Drill Now, Drill Here, Pay Less!" This sounds like an energy policy. It may even work in the mass media for campaign purposes unless and until Democrats, especially in Texas, come up with something even more attractive and credible, not to mention 
