Nuclear power; trying alleged terrorists in U.S. criminal courts; the political rise of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Nuclear power’s place

Re “Nuclear power isn’t ‘green,’ it isn’t safe and it isn’t cost-effective,” Opinion, March 5

Those who profit from nuclear power plants seem to have co-opted part of the media space to continue the falsehoods of “safe, clean” nuclear power.

Nuclear power is not safe (ask worried workers at San Onofre) and not clean (when the polluting fossil fuels required for the whole nuclear fuel cycle are considered). It is never cost-effective, as no commercial company will touch a nuclear project without massive government subsidies and government insurance.

Thanks to Chip Ward for telling it like it is.

Dorothy Boberg
Northridge

The notion that spent fuel rods from conventional nuclear reactors are waste is a misconception. Nuclear waste is a valuable, clean energy resource.

The current U.S. nuclear waste inventory is equivalent to 9 trillion barrels of oil -- four times the known oil reserves.

General Atomics is developing the energy multiplier module, a small, modular nuclear reactor that exploits this resource to produce energy, to reduce the nuclear waste inventory and to minimize proliferation risks.

EM2 addresses safety and cost concerns. It is expected to operate for

30 years without refueling. It will also generate about 240 megawatts of electrical power at a cost 30% less than that of current nuclear reactors.

This technology is a game-changer for the industry and a solution to the problems associated with nuclear energy.

John Parmentola
San Diego
The author is senior vice president for energy and electromagnetic systems at General Atomics.

Re “Now is the time to jump-start the nuclear power industry,” Opinion, March 5

Patrick Moore advocates building 45 nuclear power plants to meet the goal of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions 42% by 2030. He claims that they would be safe, clean and sustainable.

Actually, nuclear power plants are not really clean and not really safe. And because supplies of uranium are limited, they are not really sustainable.

We need to invest in new infrastructure to create a secure, sustainable energy future. There may be a limited role for nuclear power. Reflecting a more realistic approach, President Obama has proposed funding seven to 10 new nuclear power plants as part of a diverse new energy system for America.

Energy conservation and renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal have almost unlimited potential. They are the real key to our successful transition to an economy based on sustainable energy.

John D. Kelley
Santa Barbara

Trying their patience

Re “White House reconsiders terror trials in civil court,” March 6

I am sickened anew by Obama’s continuing display of monumental cowardice. This time, it’s his kowtowing to the know-nothings who insist that our criminal justice system is incapable of handling the so-called 9/11 conspirators.

I propose that Obama conduct a funeral service at the White House, with two coffins front and center labeled HOPE and CHANGE. He can invite the pillars of the military-industrial-torture complex, health insurance executives, the Rick Warrens of the world, Wall Street’s banking bonus babies and all the rest and be done with it.

The theme of the service will be “Long live the status quo!” -- which candidate Obama so eloquently decried but which President Obama has so warmly embraced.

Ambrose Bruce Terrence
Van Nuys

That where suspected 9/11 plotters may be tried could be a front-page story, and the subject of significant dispute, is a mark of how the least of governmental minutia can be politicized and come to occupy the (apparently shrunken) mental processes of a once-promising nation.

Next we’ll be disputing the softness of the toilet paper allotted to these miscreants.

Don’t we have more meaningful ways to prove our inability to legislate -- like whether medical care should be available at reasonable cost, whether gays should be allowed into the military and whether a seemingly permanent unregulated economy should be further ignored in favor of political bloviation and systemic failure?

John O’Donnell
Los Angeles

Re “White House reconsiders terror trials in civil court,” March 6

Chamber funds

Re “New lobbying force taking shape in D.C.,” March 9

If we were not already alarmed by the recent Supreme Court decision on corporations and political donations, then the report of the huge amount of money being raised by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for grass-roots organizing and lobbying ought to be a wake-up call.

Moderates, liberals, conservatives and even “tea party” participants can agree: This is an issue of Wall Street versus Main Street. We are turning our country over to the financial institutions and insurance companies, here and abroad.

Those of us who wish to protect our rights should remember that the Constitution begins with “We the people . . .”

Michael McFadden
Newport Beach

Malaysian politician’s trial

Re “Sodomy case rivets Malaysia,” Feb. 26

I wish to emphasize the Malaysian government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring a fair and impartial trial for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The case is a private matter. Authorities examined the evidence and determined it was sufficient to press charges. To claim that the trial is politically motivated or in any way related to Anwar’s previous incarceration on sodomy charges is simply wrong. Sensationalizing this unfortunate situation is equally wrong.

Like every citizen, Anwar must be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The government should not and will not interfere. To do so would prejudice the case and flout our system of justice and the core principles of democracy.

Jamaluddin Jarjis
Washington
The writer is Malaysian ambassador to the United States.

‘Average’ isn’t good enough

Re “Better education urged with prostate screening,” March 4

When the American Cancer Society can reliably tell a man he has only a slow-growing prostate cancer and not the aggressive kind, then it can talk about cutting back on screening tests.

I skipped just one year of screening and learned the following year that I had well-advanced cancer. By letting the cancer have an extra year to grow, I now pay the price of the side effects of the more extensive treatment needed to eliminate all the cancer cells.

Public health policymakers are wrong to think only in terms of the average impact on a large population and not on the specific impacts on individuals. They are like the statistician with his head in the refrigerator and his feet in the oven who says that, on average, the temperature is just fine.

Screening may not save lives on average, but it can save some. It can preserve the quality of a man’s life and prevent an agonizing death from cancer that has spread into his bones.

Tom Egan
Costa Mesa

One latte, hold the shots

Re “At the Starbucks saloon,” Editorial, March 5

The irrational among us are taking control. I suggest that when someone shows up at a Starbucks or anywhere with a gun, we all simply vacate the building. We all know it’s money that runs this culture. When businesses start losing customers and money, something will be done.

Joanne Tatham
Irvine

Three cheers for Starbucks for not ejecting gun-toting customers.

Personally, I would feel much safer at Starbucks drinking coffee or tea with law-abiding citizens openly packing than with those who are packing illegally -- with eyes on my wallet, watch or car.

Michael L. Friedman
Torrance

Probably going to order my lattes without shots from now on.

Glenn Egelko
Ventura