Oil Spill: A Wake Up Call on Energy
The oil spill now jeopardizing the fragile Louisiana coast is yet another example of the risks that carbon-based energy exploration and production present to our communities and the environment. The slick, which is now the size of the nation of Jamaica, will hit the Gulf Coast as early as today. Five thousand barrels of oil a day continue to pump into the Gulf of Mexico with no clear end in sight. Efforts to contain the spill are being undermined by high winds and seas. This could easily end up being the largest environmental disaster in our nation’s history.
According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries the spill is jeopardizing over 600 species of animals, a number of which are already at risk—whales, manatees. Soon the news will be filled with heart-wrenching photos of oil–drenched birds and dolphin. Miles and miles of beautiful beaches and coastline will be damaged.
At the same time, the spill threatens Gulf Coast communities. Especially at risk is the local Louisiana seafood industry, made up mostly of family-run businesses—fishermen and oystermen—which are still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. This spill could be the death not just of an industry but of a way of life along the Coast.
If this spill isn’t enough of a wake up call of the risks of carbon-based energy, don’t forget that just over two weeks ago a mine disaster cost the lives of 29 coal miners. As we face this massive slick on our Gulf Coast, they are still grieving in the small hamlet of Montcoal and across the Mountain State of West Virginia.
Moreover, this is to say nothing of the potential for widespread environmental harm from the long-term effects of global climate change from carbon-based fuels. While clean coal and oil, despite these tragedies, are important to assuring America’s energy independence in the future, we must not ignore the potential for nuclear power.
Environmentally sustainable nuclear energy needs to be a critical, driving component of our national energy strategy. Nuclear power produces no greenhouse gases or air pollutants. We don’t need to despoil our lands, seas or shores to explore for and produce nuclear power. And, the amount of nuclear power we generate is limited solely by the number of plants in operation. It is for these reasons that I voted in favor of expanding nuclear power generation during my time in Congress.
To be sure, we need to make our nuclear plants secure and safe—and the industry has shown a strong commitment to doing just that. Additionally, we need to ensure that the wastes produced from past and future nuclear programs are properly secured and disposed. Homeland Security Capital’s subsidiary, Safety and Ecology Corporation (SEC), is a leader in nuclear material security and disposal. SEC’s track record in nuclear material management and waste disposal demonstrates that we can ensure that the entire lifecycle of nuclear power generation can be done in an environmentally safe and sound manner.
America needs energy—we need it to power our lives, drive our economy, and light our future. However, powering our country doesn’t have to destroy our nation’s lands, seas and shores. It doesn’t mean that we have to put local communities and local jobs—ways of life that stretch back across our history—at risk. We can have a brighter future for our country, while preserving our natural riches for Americans, now and for tomorrow.
Tom McMillen