Show A NEW TORCH A few last ditch thinkers have sug sug- that the best way to cure environmental environmental environ environ- mental problems Is to cut down on human human hu hu- man consumption produce less and use less This Is like a person trying to slowdown his rate of breathing to conserve air Advocates of less consumption consumption tion are assuredly correct in one respect At present and expected rates of consumption consumption con con- the earths earth's resources wll wU disappear disappear dis dis- appear if man doesn't die of suffocation suffocation cation first But there is a partial an answer answer ans ans- to the problem and it Is forthrightly forth forth- rightly presented by Dr Glenn T. T Sea Sea- borg chairman of the U. U S. S Atomic Energy Commission The answer in two words Is nuclear energy At the present time in the U. U S. S alone each year the combustion of fossil fuel requires cubic miles of air the equivalent to more than a wide one corridor extending from San Francisco to Boston The combustion of a single pound of coal requires about 14 pounds cubic feet of air In a modern fired coal power plant it takes about 2500 pounds of coal and pounds cubic feet of air to provide the electricity for an average household for forone forone forone one year For a nuclear plant to generate generate gener gener- ate the same power would require one half gram of fuel and essentially no growth there is no other practical way to curb consumption of resources than the atom Of nuclear energy Dr concludes concludes con con- Now we have a new torch to light the world and bring the good things of life to all men men- Let us not turn o our r backs on It Let us understand understand under under- stand it be grateful for it and try to use it with courage purpose and wis wis- dom |