Riders board a natural gas powered city bus in Washington, DC, on Nov. 15 2007. Many U.S. cities are looking for greener solutions to traffic congestion, including buses that use natural gas instead of traditional fuel sources. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
As a scientist I have spent considerable time investigating the alternative energy technologies being considered. Like Wiegenfeld I conclude that most of the alternatives being considered as “politically correct” are “practically incorrect.” But then that is what we have come to expect from our government whether it is Democrat or Republican.
Wiegenfeld correctly concludes that nuclear power is the best and most economic alternative for power generation if you believe that government efforts can somehow mitigate “climate change.” But “political correctness” driven by “practically incorrect” environmental forces prevents America from taking the right course of action.
Wiegenfeld did omit one energy source that would enable America to address the putative “climate change” issue and its dependence on foreign oil. That is the use of natural gas for transportation. Natural gas fueled vehicles have been proven practical by cities around the world for many years. Natural gas is abundant in the United States and many more sources are yet to be discovered. Natural gas reduces “climate change” emissions relative to gasoline and is a clean burning fuel. Honda sells a version of the Civic powered by natural gas with the only drawback that it does not have the acceleration of gasoline powered cars. Perhaps we could learn to accelerate a little slower rather than seek to cut off the driver in front of us.
When governments around the world, including our own, start making policy on the basis of “practical correctness” instead of “political correctness,” progress towards a sustainable future for all will be within reach. In the meantime we pursue technologies outlined by Wiegenfeld that amount to a policy of “spitting into the wind” or chasing windmills like Cervantes’ Don Quixote.
Robert Garten
Cupertino, CA
