What do environmentalists1 want? They want better, cheaper, cleaner energy (all good things). For a long time, I’ve held a grudge against environmentalists because while they want these things, they are also opposed to the one known way to get it – nuclear power. Now, maybe they have a principled stance here: it’s true that nuclear power can be dangerous, but more people die in coal mining accidents than from nuclear power plant accidents. Nuclear power could also leave a mess in some cases (a la Chernobyl), but it’s less dangerous than the amount of carbon dioxide we’re putting out, and less risky if properly engineered (as long as plants are designed fail-safe, we’re okay — see Three Mile Island). So, I’ve always been suspicious that what the environmentalists really want is to throttle technology and exert some kind of control over other people.