Today's Fresh Meat

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

California environmentalists and policy makers are starting to rethink nuclear power. The San Jose Mercury News explores the nuclear issue in some depth. Nuclear power could help ease our society's transition to a lesscarbon-polluting energy policy (and for cheap, too), but there arestill areas of concern.  Nuclear power plants don't create much waste,but what there is lasts effectively forever.  On the other hand,industry advocates argue that nuclear waste can actually be recycled;France already has an effective nuclear waste recycling program inplace.

Is anyone else annoyed by the whole premise that political leaders needto talk about their private faith to gain voters' trust?  To take asingle example, the Sacramento Bee has a story about John McCainbeing urged by conservative Christians to talk more about hisreligion.  McCain himself has said, "It's primarily a private issuerather than a public one. . . .  When I'm asked about it, I'll be gladto discuss it. I just don't bring it up."  Hear, hear.  Let's have moretalk about the issues and less about the precise details of acandidate's personal religious beliefs.

A UC Davis physician will report the results of his study on illegal gun purchaseson Tuesday.  Garen Wintemute studied 28 gun shows in five differentstates, and found that California's stricter gun control laws helpedprevent illegal purchases of guns.  It's relieving to know that thelaws we pass actually work as intended.

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