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␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α∞␈↓αCOMMENTS ON ENERGY COMMISSION'S ␈↓↓"ALTERNATIVES TO SUNDESERT"␈↓
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ βRby John McCarthy, Chairman Stanford Chapter, SENSE

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_The␈α∞Stanford␈α∞chapter␈α
of␈α∞SENSE␈α∞(Scientists␈α∞and␈α
Engineers␈α∞for␈α∞Enlightenment␈α∞on␈α
Nuclear
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Sources␈αof␈αEnergy)␈αwas␈αformed␈αin␈α1975␈αto␈αprovide␈αsaid␈αenlightenment.␈α Our␈αmembers␈αare␈αmainly
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Stanford␈α
faculty␈α
in␈α
science␈α
and␈α
engineering␈α
together␈α
with␈α
a␈α
few␈α
graduate␈α
students.␈α
 Only␈α
of␈α
us␈αis␈α
a
␈↓ ↓H␈↓nuclear␈αengineer,␈αand␈αI␈αam␈αa␈αcomputer␈α
scientist.␈α Its␈αmain␈αactivity␈αturned␈αout␈αto␈αbe␈α
opposition␈αto
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Proposition␈α15␈αin␈α
1976.␈α In␈αthis␈αwe␈α
received␈αgood␈αsupport␈α
from␈αthe␈αStanford␈αscientific␈α
community;
␈↓ ↓H␈↓for␈α∞example␈α
both␈α∞of␈α∞Stanford's␈α
Nobel␈α∞Laureates␈α∞in␈α
physics␈α∞supported␈α∞our␈α
position␈α∞in␈α∞1976␈α
and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓support␈αthe␈αattached␈αstatement␈αin␈αfavor␈αof␈α
Sundesert.␈α With␈αthe␈αdefeat␈αof␈αProposition␈α15␈α
and␈αits
␈↓ ↓H␈↓companions␈α∞in␈α
other␈α∞states,␈α
we␈α∞hoped␈α∞that␈α
America's␈α∞need␈α
for␈α∞nuclear␈α
energy␈α∞could␈α∞be␈α
satisfied
␈↓ ↓H␈↓without␈α
further␈αpolitical␈α
hazard.␈α
 The␈αEnergy␈α
Commission's␈α
decision␈αagainst␈α
Sundesert␈αhas␈α
roused
␈↓ ↓H␈↓us into activity again.  All our activity is financed by ourselves.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_The␈α
present␈α
statement␈α
was␈αwritten␈α
last␈α
night,␈α
but␈α
I␈αthink␈α
it␈α
represents␈α
the␈α
general␈αopinion␈α
of
␈↓ ↓H␈↓our group.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_We␈α
think␈α
our␈αcountry␈α
is␈α
not␈α
preparing␈αto␈α
produce␈α
enough␈α
energy,␈αand␈α
this␈α
will␈αhave␈α
serious
␈↓ ↓H␈↓consequences,␈α⊃and␈α⊃the␈α∩campaign␈α⊃against␈α⊃nuclear␈α⊃energy␈α∩is␈α⊃having␈α⊃and␈α⊃will␈α∩have␈α⊃particularly
␈↓ ↓H␈↓serious effects.  Specifically, we make the following contentions:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓1.␈α∞Nuclear␈α
energy␈α∞is␈α
safe␈α∞enough␈α
and␈α∞economical␈α
enough.␈α∞ In␈α
considering␈α∞saftey,␈α
we␈α∞consider␈α
as
␈↓ ↓H␈↓most␈α
conclusive␈α
the␈α
safety␈α
record␈α
of␈α
the␈α130␈α
power␈α
reactors␈α
operating␈α
world-wide,␈α
some␈α
of␈αthem
␈↓ ↓H␈↓under␈αquite␈αdifferent␈αregulatory␈αenvironments␈α
than␈αin␈αthe␈αU.S.␈α On␈α
the␈αscientific␈αlevel,␈αwe␈αrely␈α
on
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α
impartiality␈α
and␈α
expertness␈α
of␈α
the␈αtwo␈α
studies␈α
conducted␈α
by␈α
the␈α
American␈α
Physical␈αSociety;␈α
the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓first on reactor safety and the most recent on the fuel cycle and waste disposal.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓2.␈αMany␈αforms␈αof␈αenergy␈αare␈αpotentially␈αavailable␈αand␈αall␈αshould␈αbe␈αexplored.␈α The␈αbest␈αof␈αthem
␈↓ ↓H␈↓are␈αlikely␈αto␈αhave␈αdevelopment␈αcycles␈αlike␈αthat␈αof␈αnuclear␈αenergy␈αitself.␈α Research␈αaimed␈αat␈αpower
␈↓ ↓H␈↓reactors␈αstarted␈αin␈αthe␈αearly␈α50s,␈αa␈αdemonstration␈αplant␈αat␈αthe␈α50␈αmegawatt␈αlevel␈αwas␈αoperating␈αin
␈↓ ↓H␈↓1958,␈αand␈α
in␈α1966␈αutilities␈α
made␈αthe␈αfirst␈α
decisions␈αto␈αbuild␈α
reactors␈αwithout␈α
government␈αsubsidy
␈↓ ↓H␈↓of␈α
costs␈α
of␈α
construction␈αand␈α
operation.␈α
 In␈α
pursuing␈α
any␈αparticular␈α
idea,␈α
we␈α
must␈α
remember␈αthat
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α∞laws␈α∂of␈α∞nature␈α∞are␈α∂not␈α∞bound␈α∂by␈α∞our␈α∞wishes,␈α∂and␈α∞economic␈α∞success␈α∂is␈α∞not␈α∂guaranteed.␈α∞ For
␈↓ ↓H␈↓example, fusion energy still looks like a good bet, but it is proving slower than fission did.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓3.␈α
Ways␈α
of␈α
saving␈α
energy␈α
need␈α
to␈α
be␈α
evaluated␈α
just␈α
as␈α
carefully␈α
as␈α
ways␈α
of␈α
generating␈α∞it.␈α
 They
␈↓ ↓H␈↓also␈αrequire␈αresearch,␈αplanning,␈αand␈αpilot␈αplants.␈α They␈αtoo␈αmay␈αrequire␈αfive␈αto␈αfifteen␈αyears␈αto␈αgo
␈↓ ↓H␈↓from pilot plants to large scale use.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓4.␈αIt␈αwill␈αbe␈αa␈αlong␈αtime␈αbefore␈αwe␈αfind␈αan␈αadequate␈αreplacement␈αfor␈αpetroleum␈αfor␈αvehicles.␈α The
␈↓ ↓H␈↓worldwide␈αdemand␈α
for␈αpetroleum␈αis␈α
still␈αincreasing␈αrapidly,␈α
especially␈αoutside␈αthe␈α
U.S.␈α Therefor,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈αU..S.␈αhas␈αan␈αobligation␈αto␈αits␈αown␈αsafety␈αand␈αto␈αthe␈αeconomic␈αwell-being␈αof␈αpoorer␈αnationss␈αto
␈↓ ↓H␈↓stop using oil and natural gas for electricity as soon as possible.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓5.␈α
Burning␈α∞fossil␈α
fuels␈α∞has␈α
incread␈α∞the␈α
carbon␈α∞dioxide␈α
content␈α∞of␈α
the␈α∞atmosphere␈α
by␈α∞more␈α
than
␈↓ ↓H␈↓twenty␈α⊃percent.␈α⊃ We␈α⊂don't␈α⊃know␈α⊃whether␈α⊂this␈α⊃will␈α⊃eventually␈α⊂harm␈α⊃the␈α⊃climate,␈α⊃but␈α⊂prudence
␈↓ ↓H␈↓requires␈α∪that␈α∪we␈α∪develop␈α∀energy␈α∪sources␈α∪that␈α∪don't␈α∀add␈α∪carbon␈α∪dioxide␈α∪to␈α∀the␈α∪atmosphere.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Nuclear,␈αsolar␈α
and␈αgeothermal␈α
energy␈αmeet␈αthis␈α
requirement.␈α Burning␈α
more␈αcoal␈αdoesn't,␈α
although
␈↓ ↓H␈↓there doesn't seem to be a short term danger in burning more coal.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ εH␈↓ 91


␈↓ ↓H␈↓6.␈α⊂Like␈α⊂most␈α⊂Americans,␈α⊂we␈α⊂believe␈α⊃the␈α⊂American␈α⊂life␈α⊂style␈α⊂is␈α⊂worth␈α⊂preserving.␈α⊃ People␈α⊂who
␈↓ ↓H␈↓attempt␈αto␈αchange␈αit␈αby␈αletting␈αthe␈αcountry␈αdrift␈αinot␈αa␈αsituation␈αwherein␈αwe␈αcan't␈αheat␈αour␈αhouses
␈↓ ↓H␈↓or␈αdrive␈α
our␈αcars,␈α
will␈αbe␈α
very␈αsorry␈α
if␈αthey␈α
succeed.␈α Crash␈α
programs␈αwill␈α
restore␈αthe␈α
life␈αstyle,␈α
but
␈↓ ↓H␈↓at␈αgreat␈αenvironmental␈αcost,␈αand␈αanyone␈αidentified␈αwith␈αenvironmental␈αcauses␈αwill␈αbe␈αdriven␈αfrom
␈↓ ↓H␈↓politics.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓7. A large increase in the real cost of electricity will have bad economic and social effects.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓8.␈αCalifornia␈αneeds␈αsubstantial␈αexcess␈αcapacity␈αto␈αallow␈αfor␈αdry␈αyears,␈αbreakdowns,␈αcoal␈αstrikes␈αand
␈↓ ↓H␈↓oil␈α
embargoes.␈α
 Making␈α
extreme␈αefforts␈α
to␈α
avoid␈α
building␈α
one␈αmore␈α
plant␈α
than␈α
necessary␈αis␈α
skating
␈↓ ↓H␈↓on thin ice.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ ∧(THE ENERGY COMMISSION REPORT

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_In␈α
the␈α
light␈α
of␈α
the␈α
above␈αprinciples␈α
the␈α
Energy␈α
Commission␈α
report␈α
has␈αseveral␈α
shortcomings,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓even though it has collected many important facts about potential demand and sources of supply.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓These are

␈↓ ↓H␈↓1.␈α⊂It␈α∂is␈α⊂unrealistic␈α⊂about␈α∂the␈α⊂development␈α⊂cycles␈α∂about␈α⊂untried␈α⊂ways␈α∂of␈α⊂energy␈α⊂generation␈α∂and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓methods of conservation.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓2.␈α∩It␈α⊃probably␈α∩underestimates␈α∩costs,␈α⊃because␈α∩early␈α⊃cost␈α∩estimates␈α∩take␈α⊃into␈α∩account␈α∩only␈α⊃those
␈↓ ↓H␈↓measures␈α∂which␈α∂are␈α∂seen␈α⊂to␈α∂be␈α∂necessary␈α∂at␈α∂the␈α⊂time␈α∂of␈α∂the␈α∂estimate.␈α∂ More␈α⊂necessary␈α∂features
␈↓ ↓H␈↓always turn up later.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓3.␈α∞It␈α
does␈α∞not␈α∞take␈α
into␈α∞account␈α
the␈α∞need␈α∞to␈α
cut␈α∞oil␈α
use␈α∞for␈α∞power␈α
generation␈α∞and␈α∞even␈α
suggests
␈↓ ↓H␈↓increasing it.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓4.␈α
It␈αwas␈α
prepared␈α
under␈αthe␈α
aegis␈α
of␈αa␈α
Commission␈αwhose␈α
members␈α
had␈αtaken␈α
positions␈α
on␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓issues, so regardless of details, the conclusions had to come out right.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓5.␈α
In␈α
our␈α
country,␈α
it␈α
has␈α
often␈α
proved␈α
better␈α
to␈α
leave␈α
economic␈α
decisions␈α
in␈α
the␈α
hands␈α
of␈α
companies
␈↓ ↓H␈↓that␈α∞will␈α
feel␈α∞the␈α
economic␈α∞consequences␈α
of␈α∞the␈α
decisions.␈α∞ Government␈α
economic␈α∞decisions␈α
have
␈↓ ↓H␈↓too often been the means and result of struggles for power.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓6.␈αThe␈α
report␈αpresumes␈α
too␈αmuch␈α
about␈αthe␈α
willingness␈αof␈α
other␈αstates␈α
to␈αgenerate␈α
our␈αown␈α
energy.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓If␈αCalifornia␈αdoes␈αnot␈αsolve␈αits␈αown␈α
energy␈αproblems,␈αothers␈αare␈αlikely␈αto␈αchange␈αtheir␈α
policies␈αin
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the direction of not exporting energy to us.