Editorial: Obama’s energetic endorsement

In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama delivered his most pertinent statement… In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama delivered his most pertinent statement on nuclear energy since he took office. A new generation of nuclear power plants, and the clean-energy jobs that will result, hinge on $54 billion in additional loan guarantees for nuclear energy, part of his 2011 budget request to Congress last Monday.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission enables the nation to safely use radioactive materials for beneficial civilian purposes, while ensuring safety to people and the environment during its use. Obama designated the chairman of the NRC in 2009. Public funding for nuclear energy related endeavors have often been awarded by this agency.

In August 2008, Pitt received $750,000 of the $20 million designated as Nuclear Education Grants from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, one of 60 recipient institutions. The grants augmented the nuclear engineering undergraduate and graduate certificate programs. In November 2009, the NRC awarded Pitt a $400,000 grant to support two graduate fellowships within the same field.

Obama has had a distinctive grassroots approach to many of the issues he addresses. Nuclear energy is no different. Pitt has been recognized substantially for its nuclear engineering programs from the NRC, considering its program is not quitethree-years-old. If Obama is true to his past, Pitt and other institutions might see even more funding for this new energy he is endorsing.

Training people to work in this field is just as important as creating those nuclear reactors and making nuclear energy a more viable option than it presently is.

As students at Pitt, and inhabitants of Pittsburgh, it is important to appreciate nuclear energy for what it is, and to understand the concerns about it. Looking at the University’s latest accomplishments, the city of Pittsburgh could regain a title as an energy-central city.

As far as safety is concerned, nuclear power plants might not be as destructive as their name suggests. According to the American Nuclear Society, a not-for-profit scientific and educational organization unifying professional activities in nuclear science and technology, plants do not explode like nuclear bombs, as some assume. A reactor is not built like a weapon.

Nuclear energy is not harmful to the environment, the ANS suggests. The energy-creating process does not involve the emission of greenhouse gasses, being as clean as solar and wind energy sources. Yes, waste is still produced, but President Obama seems to have otherplans in mind to dispose of it, suggesting closing down Yucca Mountain in the Nevada desert, a burial ground for waste.

A new energy source would also reduce the nation’s dependency on foreign oil. The electricity generated can directly power the increasing number of hybrid cars available, and even electrically powered mass-transit. Having a long-term scope of nuclear energy’s integration into society is important to realize its possibilities.

If the president succeeds in pushing nuclear energy, and research and power plant creation is funded, Pitt can be proud it will be at the forefront of the next possible energy renaissance.