The bottom line reason I would like us to end the use of nuclear power plants is that meltdowns and nuclear accidents aside, we really can't handle the nuclear waste safely enough nor convert it into a safer reusable form fast enough to prevent a nuclear pile-up of insurmountable size. With Yucca Mountain site closed to further storage of the waste and the continued difficulty with not only storage but transport, the legacy we leave to future generations is unconscienable.

But when activists fear-monger against the use of nuclear power with threats of another Chernoble, I take issue.

Nuclear plants today are designed to collapse inward rather than to explode outward in the event of emergencies. So the 'another' Chernoble threat is not a wise one to use. Through my one hundred hours of study with the military, often as the only non-military-associated civilian in a class of a couple of hundred, that is one thing I learned.

If you doubt what I say, then I suggest you pick up any eighth grade science book. The explanation of the shut-down there can be simple, well-illustrated, and informative. It also can help to allay some unnecessary fears you may have.

But meantime, we have the issue of cracks and leaks and terrorism, nuclear waste transport and storage, education and preparation for the in-case scenarios and just plain old ignorance, lethargy, and fear.

So with so many other real concerns to consider, I wouldn't get too worried when some one suggests we are about to at anytime experience another Chernoble. Instead, I'd study and prepare for mass emergencies. And if I wanted to do it somewhat painlessly on a simpler level, I'd pick up a copy of Jolt: a rural noir which I (Roberta M. Roy) wrote not only to entertain but to inform on how to prepare for and carry out a mass events response safety plan.

And, assuming you do decide to get involved with the colorful Jolt characters as they settle-in to a new, post-melt down way of life, be sure to watch the Matters boys as they react to 'The Event'. There's Jason, the older of the two, coached by his dad who works for The Plant, who has the survival options clear in his mind. As he zips through his decision-making and reaction to the meltdown, he does so with an automaticity that makes it into almost child's play . . . but only because he is both informed and practiced.

So do yourself a favor. Click in at http://alvapressinc.com and order yourself a paperback copy of Jolt: a rural noir. You won't be disappointed.

RMR in Po-Town