Oh no, more nukes

Apparently Ontario’s bright future could include up to eight new nuclear reactors. Energy Minister Dwight Duncan is downplaying the applications to build them, but Tory leader John Tory (formerly of Torys, now just a Tory) has been predicting this for a some time now.

A couple of weeks ago, at the Ontario PC’s mega-fundraiser at the Toronto Convention Centre, Tory supported nuclear energy in his speech. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Tory claimed that Ontario needed “more nuclear reactors than the current government says we need.” He openly endorses nuclear energy for two reasons: in the communities that are already home to nuclear facilities, people support building new ones; and two, nuclear reactors produce zero greenhouse gas emissions.

What they produce is a radioactive slurry, but no matter. Energy production, like waste disposal, is all about picking your poison. Tory is betting that, given fears over global warming, people will prefer cooling towers to smokestacks. This issue alone ought to make for a worthwhile campaign.

Image of John Tory: www.ontariopc.com