Nuclear power, says Ben Luce, policy director of the New Mexico Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, has drawbacks that make renewable energy the better choice for feeding an electricity-hungry world. But many of those drawbacks are exaggerated and would nearly disappear with a new generation of nuclear power plants, says Donald Petersen, a retired scientist who works with a group educating people on nuclear power.

And, according to Petersen, existing technology can be used to build new nuclear power plants that create less waste - at a rate of one pound to every 2,000 pounds currently spat out - and even use existing radioactive waste as a fuel.