Energy Reform: Nuclear Power and Carbon Caps

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/05/14/Americas_Energy_Future_A_Debate

John Podesta, Karen Harbert and Christine Todd Whitman debate the setbacks and advantages to nuclear power and carbon pricing. "I'm in favor of a cap and trade program," says Whitman, but "the devil is in the details."

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Christine Todd Whitman, James Woolsey, John Podesta and Karen Harbert debate energy policy, with a focus on the pros and cons of nuclear energy.

The dual shocks of record-high energy prices and global recession have produced fertile ground for policymakers to radically reform America's energy policy. While many have called for increasing production of domestic oil and coal supplies, others have seen this as a unique opportunity to move beyond an energy policy dominated by fossil fuels.

In July 2008, former Vice President Al Gore outlined the first step in this process when he called for America's electricity supply to be carbon-free in 10 years. - Miller Center of Public Affairs

John Podesta is the president and CEO of the Center for American Progress and visiting professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Podesta served as chief of staff to President William J. Clinton from October 1998 until January 2001 and was at that time responsible for directing, managing, and overseeing all policy development, daily operations, Congressional relations, and staff activities of the White House.

Karen Alderman Harbert is President and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy, working to build support for national and international energy action through policy, education, and advocacy. Harbert is the former Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she focused on domestic and international energy issues, climate change programs, and regulatory concerns.

Christine Todd Whitman is President of The Whitman Strategy Group, a consulting firm specializing in energy and environmental issues. She served as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (2001-03), and as the first woman governor of New Jersey.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• nuclear
• power
• plants
• cost
• expensive
• cheap
• source
• co2
• emissions
• cap
• trade
• program
• obama
• policy
• reforms
• global
• warming
• fora.tv
• foratv
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[patricepainchaud1]

No Cap & trade. Instead: Gradually cap the world production of fossil fuels allowed to be burned. As soon as industries around the world knows that they'll be facing limits, you bet they'll soon turn to alternative energies.

[art88]

The devil is in Christy, she is a straight up liar, her poor choices and politically motivated decisions regarding health safety have killed and made to suffer many Americans. She belongs in jail and for life and after she expires there should be a special place in hell waiting for her and her kind.

[blackiron60]

To hell with fossil fuels - everyone participating in this debate is a fossil!

[PonderLust]

No cap and trade. Tax cabon!

Also, electric high speed trains built roughly parallel to the federal interstate highway system can serve as an energy transmission backbone that would be accessible to energy farmers anywhere in the US, and it would cut down on air traffic.

[PonderLust]

The fastest way to emissions free energy is to create an environment that is attractive to potential urban and rural energy farmers. If you put more energy on the grid than you take off, you should be paid at a rate that will earn a profit. Two things will speed things up. Government secured loans to pay for energy generators, and a government regulated price per unit of power. These have to be tied together so when farmers signs the paperwork they know the system will pay for itself.

[PonderLust]

Nuclear power is not clean and not renewable.

[Slug99]

Sure if the plant fails somehow, it's pretty bad. But the problem with coal plants is that they are pollutant by their very nature of burning coal and releasing various kinds of chemicals which over time hurt the environment by raising acidity levels in lakes and such.

Hiroshima wasn't a nuclear power plant failing, it was a nuclear BOMB detonating. Plants don't explode into mushroom cloud. Also no one is saying that we should dump the waste into rivers or something, that would be stupid.

[Slug99]

Nuclear power is much cleaner and safer than coal, which is really the whole point.

[freesk8]

Putting a high price on carbon will kill more poor people than the slowly rising temperatures and sea levels over the next 100 years.

[SpiralOut11235]

What pollution?