Earth Equity News

McCain Calls for 45 New Nuclear Plants by 2030.By Mary Ann Giordano and Larry Rohter, NYTimes, August 6, 2008."Sen. John McCain toured a nuclear power plant in Michigan on Tuesday to highlight his support for the construction of 45 new nuclear power generators by 2030, a position he said distinguished him from his Democratic rival... In addressing the nation's energy demands, Sen. Barack Obama has focused on alternative energy sources like wind and solar, as well as conservation, which would apparently also be the main beneficiaries of the decade-long $150 billion government investment effort he promises if elected. He barely mentions nuclear power, usually just alluding to it in a sentence here or there. 'I think we do have to look at nuclear,' he said in an interview this spring on Meet the Press, 'and what we've got to figure out is can we store the material properly? Can we make sure that they're secure? Can we deal with the expense?' In his appearance at the nuclear plant, Mr. McCain expressed none of those doubts or concerns, asserting in his statement that the construction of the 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030 would create 700,000 jobs, a figure that many experts find to be inflated. He also said his experience serving on the nuclear-fueled aircraft carrier Enterprise had convinced him of the safety of nuclear power."