Latest Answers

Latest Answers http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/latest/%2A/13/%2A/%2A a view of answers sorted by date en We aren’t doing enough to incent nuclear energy and there’s two major road blocks to nuclear energy. One’s just the high cost. It takes several, I think 5 billion dollars to build a new plant, whereas it’s a third of that to build a coal plant. So the government has to step up and provide some kind of grant or loan fund to be able to offset some of the costs. The second thing is a big thing, and that’s what do we do with the waste. And we can’t get Yucca Mountain through the Senate. So even if we came up with a grant or loan fund they still don’t have anyplace to store it. And being able to recycle the rods, we can do that to some extent now but you still have to deal with the totally spent rod. So until we resolve the waste issue you’re going to have very few people that are going to put up the cash to build a nuclear plant. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/we-aren%E2%80%99t-doing-enough-incent-nuclear-energy-and-there%E2%80%99s-two-major-road-blocks-nuclear-energ Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:13:13 -0500 Todd Zwillich 1251 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org The discussion about whether we hit peak oil I think drives some of the discussion about whether or how quickly we move away from oil as the major use of our energy. It’s kind of like global warming was a few years ago. People talk about peak oil, but there’s no evidence that we’ve hit peak oil, some people think it’s right now. So it’s part of their discussions. I think we’re going to hit peak oil soon and I’d rather have our plan in place to move away from fossil fuels to energize our economy and transportation, as opposed to waiting until you hit peak oil and then all the sudden your back’s against the wall. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/discussion-about-whether-we-hit-peak-oil-i-think-drives-some-discussion-about-whether-or-how Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:13:08 -0500 Todd Zwillich 1249 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org In the last Congress nuclear energy was one of those parts of the package we had as a part as an energy package. I certainly think it is one that needs to have greater emphasis. When you look at countries like France that have 75 to 80% of their power supplied by nuclear plants, you have to ask why we don’t do that in this country. We do have some that are in the early stages of coming in the planning part of it. We have at least one in my state of George that is planned come on line. But those take a long time so delays in getting them implemented in the beginning means the whole process slows down. We did have language in the last energy bill under Republican leadership that did speed up the process of getting those approved. However it’s one of those real clean energy sources that we all are looking for. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/last-congress-nuclear-energy-was-one-those-parts-package-we-had-part-energy-package.-i-certa Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:08:00 -0500 Todd Zwillich 1247 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org Geothermal will play a greater role. The question is how much and how soon? We are dramatically shifting investment over the next three years into renewable energy supplies for the future and geothermal is nearly inexhaustible. And is one where there are more applications than people think and it needs to be a part of a diverse portfolio.” Reporter: “Is funding an issue?” Blumenauer: “Funding will be less of an issue in the next Congress, because we will shift away, there is no question in my mind, from subsidizing the mature sources of the past. We are in the process of shifting subsidy from the mature sources of that are part of our energy past and redirecting it for things that are part of our energy future that aren’t yet mature and for whom this subsidy makes all the difference in the world. I think there will be more money over the next three years and it will be targeted in ways that will magnify its impact. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/geothermal-will-play-greater-role.-question-how-much-and-how-soon%3F-we-are-dramatically-shift Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:04:00 -0500 Matt Laslo 1216 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org Nutrition education we already do within health classes. When my kids were in kindergarten or 1st Grade, and how many grains and how many dairies, so nutrition education, yes. One of the other questions to be asked is, is it the federal government’s role to tell schools what they should be doing within the choices that are available within a school. We need to keep in mind that within the past 40 some-odd years, we’ve been doing that within the school lunch program. We have set the standards within school lunches and we say there are standards that need to be met. What we haven’t really done is updated those standards. It’s not just what is available within the school lunch program. It’s also what is available for sale through other programs. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/nutrition-education-we-already-do-within-health-classes.-when-my-kids-were-kindergarten-or-1 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:09:27 -0500 1180 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org Well first of all, it’s not up the federal government to mandate what schools teach. I would never want to intrude on the local jurisdiction of schools to decide who they hire, who the fire, what books use. That’s not the role of the federal government. But I do think the role of the federal government is, as long as we’re providing school lunches and school breakfasts and food in schools, that we ought to be able to say what foods would be allowed in those schools. If you’re gonna partake in the school lunch or school breakfast program, then you oughta be able to set guidelines for all of the foods in those schools. And that’s what I’m trying get accomplished. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/well-first-all%2C-it%E2%80%99s-not-federal-government-mandate-what-schools-teach.-i-would-never-want-i Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:07:38 -0500 1178 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org We know that many of those from whom we import oil are not our friends, so we should be able to have our own resources developed for our own energy, and one of those is nuclear power. It’s clean, it’s reliable and it’s abundant. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/we-know-many-those-whom-we-import-oil-are-not-our-friends%2C-so-we-should-be-able-have-our-own Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:58:31 -0500 1160 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org Nuclear power is part of the answer to meet our growing needs and the fact that we need to cut down on CO2 emissions. http://www.askyourlawmaker.org/answers/nuclear-power-part-answer-meet-our-growing-needs-and-fact-we-need-cut-down-co2-emissions. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:56:49 -0500 1158 at http://www.askyourlawmaker.org