Ike Was Right: Oil is Obsolete

As I continue to read as much as I can stomach about Israel’s current struggle for its very survival, I have developed strong desire to shout on the streets. My message to Sharon and all the other leaders in the world is that we do not need oil. That fact should make the equation far…

The United States Should Lead the Way by Michael Fox

As a scientist whose career includes the management of a plutonium laboratory, I am keenly aware of the many attributes of plutonium. Over the years I have also learned that advice from nuclear critics about plutonium is consistently unreliable. The critics are again offering unreliable information to the Secretary of Energy about the disposition of…

Why Throw Away a Priceless Resource by Theodore Rockwell

In a press release carefully coordinated with mass internet mailings to all the old anti-technology political action groups, Nader’s well-funded Critical Mass organization tries to create the impression of “a growing coalition of national, international and grassroots groups” joined by “many scientists, experts and the public.” But there is nothing spontaneous or grass-rootsy about this…

Letter from the Editor Plutonium Politics Leads To Unusual Logic

On December 9, 1996, the United States Department of Energy issued a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement that advocated an investigation of two possible alternatives for handling plutonium from decommissioned nuclear weapons. One option is to combine the plutonium with uranium to produce mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel that can be used in conventional nuclear reactor plants. The…

Chernobyl Politics and Market Share: Possible Motives Behind Emphasis

When Unit 4 blew up, it became a huge opportunity for those who wanted to point out the weaknesses of the Soviet system. It is impossible to separate the reaction to Chernobyl from the long-standing rivalry between the Communist and the Capitalist economic systems. The Chernobyl nuclear station was never viewed as just an electricity…

Letter from the Editor: Learning from a Tragedy

As a former nuclear plant supervisor, I was appalled by reports of plant bosses who ordered operators into highly contaminated areas without ensuring that they used protective clothing or breathing devices. Last April, Atomic Energy Insights published its first issue. In the past year, AEI has attempted to provide a view of atomic topics that…