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␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓βS␈↓∧ Department of Computer Science, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Stanford, California 94305

␈↓ ↓H␈↓∧Telephone 415 497-4430␈↓ 
≥July 30, 1980 




␈↓ ↓H␈↓Mr. Kenneth Schnitzer
␈↓ ↓H␈↓47 Crestwood Drive
␈↓ ↓H␈↓West Orange, NJ 07052

␈↓ ↓H␈↓Dear Mr. Schnitzer:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Let me deal with your concerns one at a time.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        1.␈α
The␈α
question␈α
of␈α
whether␈α
burying␈αnuclear␈α
waste␈α
will␈α
leave␈α
future␈α
generations␈αwith␈α
di≠cult
␈↓ ↓H␈↓problems␈α
is␈α∞one␈α
of␈α∞those␈α
discussed␈α∞at␈α
length␈α
in␈α∞the␈α
American␈α∞Physical␈α
Society␈α∞study␈α
to␈α∞which␈α
I
␈↓ ↓H␈↓referred.␈α It␈αwas␈αpublished␈α
as␈αa␈αspecial␈αissue␈α
of␈α␈↓↓Reviews␈αof␈αModern␈α
Physics␈↓,␈αbut␈αI␈αdon't␈α
have␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓issue at hand.  Any library could ≡nd it.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        There␈αis␈α
always␈αsome␈αrisk,␈α
but␈αour␈αorganization␈α
is␈αcomposed␈αof␈α
people␈αwho␈αthink␈α
that␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓risks␈αin␈αnuclear␈αand␈αother␈αsources␈αof␈αenergy␈αare␈αfar␈αless␈αthan␈αthe␈αrisk␈αof␈αnot␈αacting␈αwhile␈αour␈αoil
␈↓ ↓H␈↓supplies diminish and cut-throat competition for Middle East oil grows.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        2.␈α
Ours␈α
is␈α
an␈α
advocacy␈α
organization,␈α
not␈α
a␈α
research␈α
organization,␈α
and␈α
we␈α
were␈αdependent␈α
on
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Public␈α∂Service␈α∂Gas␈α∂and␈α∂Electric␈α∂to␈α∂get␈α∞our␈α∂opinions␈α∂into␈α∂ads.␈α∂ Considerable␈α∂research␈α∂money␈α∞is
␈↓ ↓H␈↓being␈αspent␈α
by␈αgovernment␈α
and␈αindustry␈α
on␈αphoto-voltaic␈α
cells.␈α Even␈α
if␈αthe␈α
current␈αresearch␈α
goals
␈↓ ↓H␈↓are␈αmet,␈αI␈αthink␈αthat␈αelectricity␈αfrom␈αthem␈αwill␈αbe␈αextremely␈αcapital␈αintensive␈αand␈αmore␈αexpensive
␈↓ ↓H␈↓than␈α
nuclear␈α
electricity.␈α In␈α
any␈α
case␈αthey␈α
won't␈α
be␈αavailable␈α
for␈α
many␈αyears.␈α
 If␈α
they␈αare␈α
expensive
␈↓ ↓H␈↓and␈αthey␈α
are␈αbuilt,␈α
then␈αpresumably␈αsomeone␈α
will␈αmake␈α
even␈αmore␈αmoney␈α
out␈αof␈α
them␈αthan␈αout␈α
of
␈↓ ↓H␈↓using␈αnuclear␈αenergy.␈α Actually,␈αbecause␈αof␈αin∨ation␈αaccounting,␈αboth␈αthe␈αmanufacturers␈αof␈αpower
␈↓ ↓H␈↓plants␈α(nuclear␈αand␈αconventional)␈αand␈αthe␈αutilities␈αare␈αeither␈αlosing␈αmoney␈αoutright␈αor␈αnot␈αmaking
␈↓ ↓H␈↓enough to replace equipment as it wears out.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        3.␈α∞None␈α∞of␈α∞us␈α∞make␈α
any␈α∞money␈α∞out␈α∞of␈α∞our␈α∞activity.␈α
 I␈α∞am␈α∞a␈α∞university␈α∞professor,␈α∞and␈α
my
␈↓ ↓H␈↓activity␈α
in␈αScientists␈α
and␈αEngineers␈α
for␈αSecure␈α
Energy␈αis␈α
in␈αmy␈α
spare␈αtime.␈α
 I␈αam␈α
motivated␈αby␈α
our
␈↓ ↓H␈↓country's␈αdependence␈αon␈αimported␈αoil␈αand␈αby␈αfear␈α
of␈αwhat␈αI␈αsee␈αas␈αa␈αsuperstitious␈αfear␈αof␈α
what␈αI
␈↓ ↓H␈↓see as a safe and cost-e≥ective technology.


␈↓ ↓H␈↓Sincerely,



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