Campus Voice 3J02011 I The Blue Banner I 15 The Blue Banner’s View Earthquake reminds US nuclear energy is unsafe standards. But that does not chanf What’s clean, emission-free, provides electricity and can leak cancer-causing radiation? Nuclear power. In 1977, Dixie Lee Ray, then governor of Washington at the time, said, “A nuclear power plant is infinitely safer than eating because 300 people choke to death on food every year.” Three hundred people did not die in the incident at Three Mile Island. Less than 30 people died because of the disaster in Chernobyl. So far, no deaths in Japan have been linked to the meltdown of reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. But does that make it safe? Signs point to ‘no.’ According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ex posure to high doses of nuclear radiation can have significant contribution to several types History is teaching us not to underestimate the damage nuclear power can cause. Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and now the disaster in Japan are proving this. Any country that uses nuclear energy needs to learn a valuable lesson from these disasters. of cancers such as leukemia, breast, lung and ovarian. On March 17, President Obama made a speech in which he said a powerful natu ral disaster caused “even more catastrophe through its impact on nuclear reactors that bring peaceful energy to the people of Japan.’’ Is it really possible to call an energy source with the poten tial to leak radiation into food, water and air “peaceful?” The Nuclear Energy Institute reports 20 percent of electric ity in the United States comes from nuclear energy, and is the number one source of emis sion-free electrieity. Nuclear power could be an answer to the rising carbon dioxide emissions caused by burning fossil fuels, but do not call it safe or peaceful. Since the nuclear disaster in Japan, the NRC has launched a review into the current nuclear power plants in the U.S. to ensure they are all up to safety standards. But the American people may not be so assured by this review or the comments insisting nuclear power is both clean and safe. In response to the earth quake in Japan, more Ameri cans oppose the expansion of nuclear power. , A recent poll by the Pew Research Center shows 52 per cent of Americans are current ly opposed to the expansion of nuclear power, a 5 percent increase since October. A similar poll from CNN re ports one in 10 Americans are calling for all nuclear plants to be shut down. Shutting down nuclear power probably is not the answer. Losing the source of 20 per cent of America’s electricity would cause more problems than it would solve. But that does not change the fact that nuclear power can come with some serious side effects. The Oconee power plant in South Carolina received notices of violation from the NRC just last year. Nuclear power has to be suf ficiently regulated if the U.S. continues to use it, and even more so if they plan to expand. History is teaching us not to underestimate the dam age nuclear power can cause. Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and now the disaster in Japan are proving this. Any country that uses nuclear energy needs to learn a valuable lesson from these disasters. The only way nuclear energy can be safe is to ensure that nuclear power plants can withstand even the most unex pected disasters. The Blue Banner Editorial Board Karpen Hall 019 (828) 251 Ashleigh Joyner, Editor-in-Chief amjoyner@unca.edu Caitlin Byrd, Managing Editor mcbyrd@unca.edu Katherine Walker, News Editor kpwalker@ unca .edu Hali Ledford, Arts & Features Editor hdledfor@unca.edu Natalie Pearson, Sports Editor ngpearso @ unca.edu Megan Dombroski, Campus Voice Editor mkdombro @ unca.edu Katie Saylors, Photography Editor ksaylors@unca.edu -6586 www.thebluebanner.net Jacob Yancey, Business Manager jayancey@unca.edu Jordan Paris, Design & Web Editor aparis@unca.edu Alex Hammond, Copy Desk Chief rahammon@unca.edu Trevor Metcalfe, Ass/sfartf News Editor temetcal@unca.edu Auburn Petty, Assistant Arts & Features Editor alpetty@unca.edu Dustin Stuart, Assistant Photography Editor destuart@unca.edu Alicia Adcox, Assistant Campus Voice Editor aradcox@unca.edu Michael Gouge, Faculty Adviser mgouge@unca.edu Have a news tip? send to amjoyner@unca.edu The Blue Banner is UNC Asheville’s student newspaper. We publish each Wednesday except during summer sessions, finals week and holiday breaks. Our office is located in Karpen Hall 019. The Blue Banner is a desig nated forum for free speech and welcomes letters to the editor, considering them on basis of interest, space and timeliness. Letters and articles should be emailed to the editor-in-chief or the appropriate section editor. Letters should include the writer’s name, year in school, and major or other relationship to UNCA. Include a telephone number to aid in verification. All articles are subject to editing.

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