Nuclear Power: Yes or No?

Frontline reported that Japan and Germany are moving rapidly away from utilizing nuclear power out of fear that another meltdown like the one in Japan a year ago may reoccur.  Over two hundred nuclear power plants may be shut down in those countries during the next few years, at a cost measured in the hundreds of billions.  If you add the environmental costs of relying more on oil, the costs are staggering.  Of course moving to alternative energy is vital, and Germany in particular is trying to do that.  Scientists, however, say it will not be enough, and they will be forced to use dirtier fossil fuels as a adequate bridge to alternatives.  Oil sands, coal, natural gas, and imports from the Middle East.  Skies will turn darker with soot.  Germany’s massive solar farms are already overcast (and inefficient) as it is.  Why such fear of nuclear?  They fear anything they can’t control.  Irradiated food is rejected over there, even though there is no direct contamination.  In Japan they still watch Mothra and Godzilla movies.  Mothra tries to protect the Earth, while Godzilla often hates humans and has an atomic breath and a nuclear heart.  He is seen as a metaphor for atomic weapons used by the United States.  Nonetheless, he is so popular that he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Can the Fukushima or Chernobyl disasters happen again?  Certainly, although it is less likely than it was in 1986.  France is moving toward more nuclear energy, improving on safety with redundant controls and improved design.  What should we do, given the fact that alternative energy “will not be able to supply baseline power in our lifetime” no matter how many wind turbines and solar farms we build?  Do we risk more meltdowns or do we blacken our skies and exacerbate global warming?  It’s a tough question.  Demand for fossil fuels is increasing, while supply of the cleaner sources is dwindling.  Exxon and Haliburton will be two stocks to soar in the coming decade, as new oil wars ignite, needing thousands of private contractors to rebuild the infrastructure of carpet-bombed countries (which have already nearly bankrupted our economy.)  We need alternatives to fossil and nuclear desperately, but our Congress can’t pass anything but gas.  (And Wikipedia and Google were worried about censorship?)  The deregulation and greed continues unabated.  Meanwhile, hundreds of  millions of Coke addicted couch fries demand power to all their wide-screen surround-sound television sets and 8000 BTU air conditioners to keep up with the Kardashians (or to watch NASCAR.)  Air quality?  May as well ask Godzilla to stop eating beans.