Four American scientists have proposed giving nuclear power a chance to reduce fossil fuel pollution and mitigate global warming. But from all we know so far, it could be futile to address global warming by replacing one polluting electricity-generation technology with another very risky technology, while not reducing our overall consumption of energy and materials. This article points out that a growing number of studies see a very critical role for renewable energy sources in the near future. Whether to combat poverty or global warming, our attention needs to turn to these cheaper, safer, sustainable, and people-friendly technologies.
