The Limitations of Wind-Generated Power

The editorial "The Windmills Are Coming - Still," March 29, concludes by saying, " ... wind power promises to rid much of our planet of what some call the tyranny of the atom." What tyranny? Those who would say such a thing might also say that a nuclear power plant is indistinguishable from a nuclear bomb.

We should examine the excellent safety record of America's nuclear-electric industry. Look past the hype about Chernobyl (a Soviet disaster proportional to all the other environmental disasters east of the Iron Curtain) and Three Mile Island (no deaths or serious injuries despite being the major American nuclear accident). Many wind-power advocates try to sell it as an alternative to energy sources they don't like, while ignoring unattractive costs like industrial accidents, environmental clutter, and bi rd kills. Wind power is not without appeal, but neither is it a free lunch. John Dendahl, Santa Fe, N.M.

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