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␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓βS␈↓∧ Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Stanford, California 94305

␈↓ ↓H␈↓∧Telephone 415 497-4430␈↓ 	dDecember 1, 1981 




␈↓ ↓H␈↓Mr. Stanley Schmidt, Editor
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Analog Science Fiction
␈↓ ↓H␈↓380 Lexington Ave.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓New York, N.Y. 10017

␈↓ ↓H␈↓Dear Stan:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Your␈α∩December␈α∩editorial␈α∩expresses␈α∩a␈α∩generalized␈α∩reasonableness␈α∩about␈α∩balance␈α⊃between
␈↓ ↓H␈↓economic␈αand␈αenvironmental␈αconsiderations␈αbut␈αlike␈αthe␈αenvironmental␈αmovement␈αgenerally,␈α
o≥ers
␈↓ ↓H␈↓no␈α↔compromise␈α↔on␈α↔any␈α↔speci≡c␈α↔issue.␈α↔ Many␈α↔environmentalists␈α↔are␈α↔privately␈α↔in␈α↔favor␈α⊗of
␈↓ ↓H␈↓compromises␈α∩but␈α∩realize␈α∩that␈α∪as␈α∩soon␈α∩as␈α∩any␈α∩compromise␈α∪is␈α∩mentioned,␈α∩they␈α∩will␈α∪be␈α∩≡ercely
␈↓ ↓H␈↓attacked by whoever is most radical on the particular issue.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Consider just two candidates for compromise.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Nuclear␈αenergy␈αis␈α
already␈αproviding␈α43␈α
percent␈αof␈αFrance's␈α
electricity␈αvs.␈α about␈α
12␈αpercent
␈↓ ↓H␈↓of␈αour␈αown.␈α How␈αcome␈αTaiwan,␈αwith␈αless␈αpopulation␈αthan␈αCalifornia␈αand␈αan␈αeconomy␈α≡ve␈αtimes
␈↓ ↓H␈↓smaller,␈αhas␈αalready␈α
managed␈αto␈αconstruct␈αand␈α
operate␈αmore␈αplants␈α
than␈αCalifornia␈αand␈αexpects␈α
to
␈↓ ↓H␈↓have␈α⊂20␈α⊃by␈α⊂the␈α⊃end␈α⊂of␈α⊂the␈α⊃century.␈α⊂   When␈α⊃the␈α⊂French␈α⊂and␈α⊃Taiwanese␈α⊂began␈α⊃their␈α⊂nuclear
␈↓ ↓H␈↓program␈α
we␈α
were␈α
far␈α
ahead␈α
of␈α
them.␈α
 Had␈α
we␈α
continued␈α
at␈α
our␈α
pace␈α
before␈α
all␈α
the␈α
lawsuits,␈αwe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓would␈α⊂be␈α∂using␈α⊂no␈α∂oil␈α⊂and␈α⊂gas␈α∂for␈α⊂electricity␈α∂by␈α⊂now␈α⊂and␈α∂would␈α⊂be␈α∂using␈α⊂nuclear␈α⊂energy␈α∂for
␈↓ ↓H␈↓hydrogenating␈α
coal␈α
to␈α
oil.␈α
 We␈αwould␈α
have␈α
a␈α
source␈α
of␈αthe␈α
electricity␈α
for␈α
when␈α
batteries␈αsuitable
␈↓ ↓H␈↓for electric cars are developed.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Are␈α
the␈α
environmentalists␈α
willing␈α
to␈α
accept␈α
nuclear␈α
energy␈α
in␈α
exchange␈α
for␈α
restrictions␈αon␈α
oil
␈↓ ↓H␈↓and␈α
gas␈α
drilling?␈α
 Anyone␈αworried␈α
about␈α
the␈α
potential␈αC02␈α
problem␈α
should␈α
seriously␈α
consider␈αit.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Not as long as their own political unity is more important than solving the world's problems.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        What␈αabout␈αslant␈αdrilling␈αunder␈α
wilderness␈αareas␈αfrom␈αthe␈αoutside?␈α What␈α
about␈αaccepting
␈↓ ↓H␈↓that␈α
in␈α∞exchange␈α
for␈α
the␈α∞designation␈α
of␈α
more␈α∞wilderness␈α
areas?␈α
 What␈α∞about␈α
accepting␈α∞oil␈α
shale
␈↓ ↓H␈↓development␈α∀in␈α∃exchange␈α∀for␈α∃less␈α∀oil␈α∀drilling?␈α∃ What␈α∀about␈α∃accepting␈α∀o≥-shore␈α∃drilling␈α∀in
␈↓ ↓H␈↓exchange for something else or something else in exchange for giving up o≥-shore drilling?

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        When␈α∪one␈α∩considers␈α∪the␈α∩welfare␈α∪of␈α∩the␈α∪country,␈α∩compromise␈α∪makes␈α∩sense.␈α∪ When␈α∩one
␈↓ ↓H␈↓considers␈α∪keeping␈α∪the␈α∪troops␈α∪in␈α∪line␈α∪and␈α∪the␈α∪contributions␈α∪rolling␈α∪in,␈α∪compromise␈α∀is␈α∪naive.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Throwing a ≡t about James Watt has in≡nitely better short term payo≥.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Sincerely,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αMr. Stanley Schmidt␈↓ ¬XDecember 1, 1981␈↓ 
nPage 2␈↓




␈↓ ↓H␈↓John McCarthy
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Director
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Professor of Computer Science