Electric Cake

Earlier this week several Greenpeace protestors chained themselves to the table in a Clarington church, protesting the hearings on the expansion of nuclear power production at the Darlington site. Their goal, apparently, was to draw attention to the possibility of deferring this initiative until there is a better understanding of what is happening at the failed sites in Japan.

I appreciate the value of symbolic actions, but aren't these young people barking up the wrong tree? The hearings are intended to present the evidence for expansion, so formal presentations can be made. And we do not live in a fault zone, so circumstances are quite different. The protest seems earnest but misguided from my perspective.

What form of power production is acceptable? Hydro dams rivers and affects ecosystems. Coal power is dirty and destroys air quality. Wind power? Every hearing on a wind farm becomes a NIMBY-fest. Ontarians have grumbled that the McGuinty government is spending far too much subsidizing solar energy. Unless we all tap into geothermal, at great expense, there aren't many alternatives left. Even if we chose this option we would soon hear that it was affecting the water table. I'm all for alternatives. But nuclear may be our best option at present, despite the concerns.

The reality is that we all want unlimited access to power for an every-growing array of activities and devices. The other day I heard an annoying beeping that took me a while to track down. It was the electric toothbrush my hygienist convinced me was a good plan for my aging gums. "Feed me!" it was crying.

Little wonder Jesus spent so much time talking about the dangers of wealth and the need for simplicity in our lives. In the words of the old adage, we want our cake (with electric candles) and to eat it too.

Thoughts?