Nuclear power should be considered a viable and realistic solution to the current energy and environmental crisis, agreed representatives of the College Republicans and College Democrats.
A Hinckley Institute of Politics Forum debate was held to discuss the role politics should play in the Global Warming debate. Although neither could agree on the role emissions are playing in the weather changes, both agreed nuclear power is a good alternative energy option.
“We are spending billions of dollars a year on global warming-something we don’t even know exists,” said Brad Anderson, junior in political science representing the College Republicans.
Anderson said that the science community is split on the belief that the Earth’s warming trends are caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
“I make the claim that it’s a natural phenomenon-climate fluctuation-that exists on the Earth,” he said.
Anderson also questioned whether global warming should be funded for further research.
Curtis Haring, senior in political science, represented the College Democrats and maintained that carbon dioxide emissions have contributed to the Earth’s warming over the last century.
“We know that carbon dioxide is being produced by human beings,” he said. “We know that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps the Earth’s heat. We know that since the industrial revolution, temperatures have gone up. It may not be a one-to-one correlation, but we are accelerating the process.”
“The only serious way we can (provide energy) in a clean, environmentally friendly way is nuclear power. Solar power cannot do it, wind power cannot do it.” Anderson said. “We have coal, and we have nuclear energy. The only real answer is nuclear power.”
“We should revisit the idea of nuclear energy,” Haring said. “Until we come up with something that’s even cleaner and safer, it really is our only option.”