The United States federal government should substantally increase alternative energy incentives

1. Fossil fuels are a finite resource. According to the BBC on June 29, 2010, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the recession is causing even West Virginia coal miners to re-think status quo fuels. 2. Traditional renewable energy is insufficient to meet America's energy needs. According to Dr. Daniel LaGatta on February 16, 2010, the U.S. cannot meet its energy needs by 2035 without at least 40 new nuclear plants. 3. Some form of nuclear power is inevitable. According to the Texas Tribune on June 28, 2010, more than $18 billion is currently being spent on developing nuclear power plants, and Congress is considering adding another $9 billion. A review done by the Department of Energy in 2008 found that there are 108 nuclear plants in operation in the U.S. 4. Status quo nuclear technologies create thousands of tons of radioactive waste. According to National Geographic in 2002, there is currently 52,000 tons of highly toxic waste in the U.S. 5. Despite his promise to scrub the project, President Obama recently lost a lawsuit challenging the current plan to store the waste in Yucca Mountain in Nevada. According to the New York Times on June 29, 2010, although the Yucca plan still faces significant hurdles, it is still highly likely that the project will continue. 6. Unfortunately, the Yucca Mountain area contains an active volcano range. According to the New Scientist in 2002, if a volcano were to erupt, the magma would burst into the storage tunnels underneath the facility, sending radioactive magma several miles into the sky. 7. A nuclear volcano would have devastating consequences. According to Dr. David Camarow, if a volcano near Yucca Mountain were to errupt, it would contaminate and sterilize the entire biosphere. Even if the risk is extremely low, we cannot risk the survival of the human race. 8. Thus I present the following plan: The United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives by funding the development of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR). 9. The IFR is an entirely different form of nuclear power. According to Dr. George Stanford in 2001, the IFR uses spent nuclear waste as fuel. This will allow the IFR to burn waste and old decommissioned nuclear warheads, and prevent the need to store waste in Yucca Mountain. 10. The IFR was a pilot project terminated in 1994, despite being only three years away from completion. According to Dr. George Stanford in 2001, the IFR is a proven technology, but only needs funding to complete the prototype. Once the prototype is complete, construction can being on a mass scale, replacing the use of traditional nuclear power. 11. There are several other advantages to implementing IFR technology. According to the London Guardian in 2008, more than 1 billion people have insufficient water supplies, causing millions of deaths each year and millions of dollars of drought damage in the United States. However, according to Dr. Robert Pfeffer in 2001, a small nuclear power plant could create millions of gallons of fresh water as a by-product of the cooling process. 12. Although there are some signs of recovery, the economic recession is still continuing. According to the American Council on Global Nuclear Competitiveness in 2006, nuclear power can generate billions of dollars of economic growth and thousands of high paying jobs would be created in the U.S. 13. Another factor in prolonging the recession is the loss of cheap energy. However, according to Dr. James Hylko in 2008, nuclear power is one of the most cost effective forms of energy at 1.6 cents per kilowatt hour.