All these statements magnify our fears and remove meaningful perspective. This is a powerful technique of persuasion. The technical and economic issues associated with the nuclear power program can be addressed to the satisfaction of the American public. However, the emotional and institutional issues cannot be resolved by simple rational arguments. It will take a greater fear, the fear of a real shortage of electricity, to get the country's attention relative to the need for a greater reliance on nuclear power.
Electricity is almost as fundamental to our industrial society as air and water.
A severe shortage can restrict industrial operations, cause massive unemployment, and impair food supplies. The inability to have an assured source to provide our homes and hospitals with lights, refrigeration, air conditioning, and heating, as well as radio and television, would have dire consequences. More extensive use of coal plants may be a short-term fix to an increasing demand for electricity. However, the possibility of irreversible environmental damage introduced by total reliance on coal may be a major incentive for the resurgence of U.S. nuclear power programs in the future.