Now is the time to explore alternatives to nuclear power

Comment: We do not need Nuke Power, it is too expensive, dangerous and not carbon free because of construction, uranium mining and milling! Nuke plants pollutants the water, air and land. Nuke Plants causes cancers in plant workers and people living around plant! Nuke plants kills fish and makes the water too warm! We want true green power!

Sun Media columnist Lorrie Goldstein makes some accurate statements in his June 30 editorial "Smitherman rolls dice on new reactor deal."

His ultimate assumption that without nuclear energy Ontario risks power shortages is, however, utterly false.

Certainly, if we do nothing at all, eventually shortages will occur. But, there is a vast number of tested alternatives available right now that will secure Ontario's electrical supply for less money, safer, cleaner and with better reliability. I'll outline some of these shortly.

Even before the current recession reared its ugly head, Ontario was in a position of having surplus electrical power.

The recession increased that surplus and will certainly prolong if for years to come as our economy struggles back toward equilibrium.

There is no need for this province to feel pressured to rush headlong into signing a prohibitively costly agreement for nuclear energy - now, or ever.

Goldstein talks as if the only option is to grab the nuclear ring now -- whatever the cost. This foolhardy move will bridle Ontario residents -- perhaps all federal taxpayers, with a debt load of $30 to $50 billion dollars at the same time this province is facing one of the most severe recessions in its history. This huge debt is equal to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's proposed federal debt for all of Canada. Ontario doesn't need nuclear and can't afford nuclear.

The history of nuclear energy and CANDU reactors indicates that we can expect them to require further major refitting -- probably at similar costs to the purchase price -- every 20 years. I'm aware that the nuclear industry claims reactors have a life span of 40 years, but facts from our history reveal otherwise. CANDU, a heavy water reactor, produces about 100 times the water soluble tritium that is produced in European reactors. Google "tritium" and CANDU to see the concerns.

Goldstein reminds us that Darlington ended up costing 576% above original proposals. Nuclear cost overruns of double to triple the original figure quoted are common in Ontario's history.

There are less expensive alternatives with safe, clean, renewable energy. Conservation of energy is, of course, an important beginning.

Wind power is being used with great success in European countries.

The nuclear lobby tells us that the winds don't always blow. That's true. However, when the winds aren't blowing, we have the option of purchasing surplus hydro electricity from Quebec and Laborador. The peaks and valleys of output from these two systems complement one another.

Hot summer days when homeowners and businesses are running their air conditioners at maximum, place tremendous drain on our electrical generation system. Conveniently, they are also the times when solar electric production is at its highest. When our planned system of feeding back solar energy from homes and other sources into the electrical grid becomes widespread, this problem will resolve itself.

There are more methods of energy production available to us now than there have ever been in history. Due to world demand, research is focusing upon these areas. MIT is applying to patent a new, much more efficient type of solar panel that will be a vast improvement on existing systems, and less costly. Battery technology is infinitely beyond that which powered the successful EV cars of decades ago.

The world is aglow with ever better options. Canadians should be looking ahead at new but proven technologies, not back at the outdated nuclear technology of the 1950s.

The most effective thing the nuclear industry has going for it is a frighteningly powerful lobby group in Toronto and Ottawa.

Unclear about nuclear? We don't need it. We can't afford it.

It's not what we want to leave as a legacy for future generations.

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