Coal And Uranium Mining Have Their Separate, But Related Consequences

The demand for cleaner air makes coal less attractive, so nuclear energy is back in vogue.

Wisconsin's climate change initiative endorses at least the consideration of new nuclear plants.

But as The Washington Post discovers, there are health and safety issues to uranium mining, along with the well-known risks of using nuclear energy to generate power the toxic waste that terrorists are said to covet.

Conversely, coal mining has its own set of health and environmental problems, yet as Milwaukee Magazine tells us, coal mining equipment in demand worldwide is made in Milwaukee, so all the talk about diminishing generating energy generation with coal could hurt employment here.

Coal...uranium...both with problems, all of which underscores the need for greater conservation and the development of wind power.

Though wind power has its detractors, too, with a proposed group of turbines north of Madison running into local flack.

As has happened elsewhere, and often led by otherwise environmentally-active folk.

So it's hard to please everyone in a culture that demands power at the flick of a switch, but also wants to off-load the financial, environmental and health consequences onto other states and rate-payers.