Today in Supreme Court History: June 19, 1992

6/19/1992: New York v. U.S. is decided.

Comments

[Dan Schiavetta]

Nuclear power is moral poison. We have no right to burden future generations with waste that will be radioactive for tens of thousands of years, simply because we did not think things through. This case illustrates a small instance of the problem.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

I wonder where you draw the line at burdening future generations. The Hoover dam is going to burden future generations for a long time. The Egyptian pyramids have already burdened 4-5000 years of then-future generations. The Panama Canal is a permanent scar and water-suck. I doubt Manhattan island will ever be restored to its pre-human nature.

Oh, you say, those are not burdens! They provide power, tourism, offices and homes, and better transport! They are worth the cost.

The ancient Egyptians did not plan on their tombs becoming tourist fodder. We have no idea how much longer the Hoover dam will continue to be useful before silting up. New forms of intercontinental transport may render the Panama Canal quaint.

This it is with nuclear power. Greenies ought to be all over it; if they truly thought a tipping point was just 8, 9, 10, 12 years away, they would be, and since they aren't, it's pretty obvious they don't believe in their own screechings. Runaway greenhouse in 10 years vs radiation storage problems lasting thousands of years ... tough choice for a true non-believer.

You also assume today's radioactive waste will always be waste. You have little faith in humanity to find a use for it; no wonder you want government to do everything -- people are too damned stupid to solve problems, and must rely on government to do so.

[Dan Schiavetta]

I believe it is possible to go up to the Pyramids and even touch them, without suffering any ill effects let alone cancer-causing radiation poisoning.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

Set aside your peculiar and specific radiation worries and think of the larger picture. The ancient Egyptians did not consider the tourist possibilities. They did not consider that thousands of years later, their beautiful cosmetic outer stones would be taken, leaving behind an ugly formation.

The Panama Canal builders did not worry about a future which water-borne shipping would not be important.

The Hoover Dam builders did not worry about a future where the dam is so silted up as to be worthless.

For all that anyone knows now, later generations may well thank us then-ancient ancestors for leaving behind such magnificent fuel dumps.

[Dan Schiavetta]

Get back to me after you've handled some radioactive waste. You will find the worry is not "peculiar".

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

Get back to me when you've understood the multiple meanings of "peculiar".

[David Nieporent]

I believe it is possible to not go up and touch nuclear waste, and therefore not suffer any ill effects let alone cancer-causing radiation poisoning. I would suggest that future generations should probably adopt this approach, in which case it's not an issue.