CLIMATE DISTORTING U.S. ENERGY POLICIES

[HT:TO]
Proponents of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) have largely ignored natural climate influences; yet, the evidence is overwhelming that natural factors control the climate and that the greenhouse effect from rising carbon dioxide, while certainly present, is insignificant and as yet undetectable.

Instead of pushing forward the current energy and climate policies floating around Congress, the nation's goal should focus on rational energy policy -- one that accepts that fossil fuels and CO2 present no threat, says S. Fred Singer, an atmospheric physicist and professor emeritus of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia. [snip]

• Today's technologies allow us to burn coal and capture almost all the resulting pollution, making coal a "clean" fuel.
• The high capital costs thrust upon nuclear generation should be lowered considerably by streamlining the licensing process and eliminating the delays that arise from litigation against constructing nuclear reactors.
• Considerable cost savings also can be achieved by standardization and, most importantly, by factory production of major components rather than onsite construction.

Further, there are a wide variety of reactor designs available throughout the world, says Singer, including: pressurized-boiling water reactors; a Canadian design that uses heavy water; high-temperature, gas-cooled reactors; pebble fuel, which was pioneered in South Africa and is finding applications in China; and an ultrasafe reactor of Swedish design known as PIUS.

[sounds like everyone but us has been making fine progress on energy technology...]

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