Give Iran alternatives
Re “Putin stands by Iran on hot issues,” Oct. 17
The U.S. discouraging Iran from developing “peaceful” nuclear energy because it could lead to the development of nuclear weapons is a genuine concern. After all, the U.S. and the Soviet Union did just that, amassing stupendous nuclear arsenals. Russian President Vladimir V. Putin asserts: “We believe all countries have the right to a peaceful nuclear energy program.”
Though that rationale makes sense, the belief that nuclear power is safe and clean doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.
With no safe storage or disposal of radioactive waste yet developed, and the possibility of more nuclear accidents and uranium being used in nuclear weapons, the word “peaceful” hardly applies to nuclear energy.
Why not make cleaner energy sources, such as solar and wind, available to Iran, which has an abundance of sunlight? We could eliminate the world’s dependence on extremely hazardous energy and all the war rhetoric over nuclear energy.
Craig Houx
Topanga
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
