The Michigan Daily-Wednesc
Increased
reliance on
nuclear fuel
debated
By BETH PERSKY
Two local anti-nuclear activists ob-
jected to President Carter's announ-
cement to continue relying on nuclear
energy, while two University nuclear
engineers said it is essential to meet the
nation's energy needs.
Monday, Carter said in his Kansas
City speech that nuclear energy, "must
play an important role in the United
States to insure our energy future."
ARBOR ALLIANCE member Lance
Morrow took exception to the
president's statement. "The gover-
nment is confusing nuclear as a sub-
stitute for imported oil," Morrow said.
He added that atomic power only
produces electricity, calling it "a fraud
that they (government officials) talk
about using it to solve our energy
problems.
The Public Interest Research Group
in Michigan (PIRGIM), along with the
Arbor Alliance, opposes nuclear energy
use.
"We're still going to be saddled with
waste problems for thousands of years
after nuclear power is no longer
around," said PIRGIM member David
De Varti.
NUCLEAR eingineers, however, ex-
pressed the opposite view. "Nuclear
energy is sensible; in fact, it's the only
way to reduce dependence on foreign
oil," said Nuclear Engineering Dept.
Chairman Glenn Knoll.
"It's safe to say, at the moment,
nuclear energy is the safest form of
energy in the country - by most level-
headed assessments," he added.
Nuclear Engineering Prof. Dietrich
Vincent said there is no choice but to
utilize nuclear power, because alter-
native energy sources cannot be
developed soon enough to compensate
for'the scarcity of other energy sources.
VINCENT AND Knoll say the risks
involved are reasonable.
"We can't have a risk-free society -
it's a matter of how we choose our
priorities, which risks we find ac-
cessible," Vincent said. "We can't turn
technology back," he added.
Nuclear opponent Morrow also
denounced Carter's plan to speed up
construction of nuclear power plants,
usually a ten-to-12-year project. A stan-
dardized design, which would speed up
the process, would fail to allow for im-
provements in design and adaptations
to particular areas, he said.
"We have at least a half dozen
nuclear plants by earthquake faults."
Yesterday, Congress voted down a
bill which would have suspended all
construction of nuclear power plants
for up to five years, to permit
examination of safety and waste
disposal issues.
Knoll said the proliferation of nuclear
power plants depends to a great extent
upon public opinion.
"We will have nucar energy to the
extent the publiewants it." -
WORKERS LAY a $40,000 carpet in the state Senate's chamber during summer break. The House chambers also
will receive a new carpet costing $26,000.
STATE BUYS CARPET AND VOTING SYSTEMS:
Capitol's new look costs $470,000
LANSING (UPI)-The ornate old
legislative chambers in Michigan's
Capitol are getting a new look during
the building's centennial summer with
fresh carpeting and sophisticated elec-
tronic voting systems costing about
$470,000.
The legislative session scarcely had
ended when a small army of carpenters
and electricians began ripping up car-
pet, tearing out wires and dismantling
old fixtures. Both chambers were
TONIGHT-8pm
Ann Arbor Federation of Musicians
Night Discount with Membership
Card
Hay
by Noel
Pow eaeter
Power Center Box Office opens at
6pm, 763-3333. Mich. Rep Ticket
Office in Mich. League Mon-Fri. 12-
5pm, 764-0450. Tickets also available
through Hudson's
Tomorrow Night: Ah, Wlldern.ssI
closed to the general public.yesterday.
The 110-member House is replacing
its balky 42-year-old voting boards with
a $156,000 solid-state electronic system
that will count tallies while it helps
lawmakers keep track of the session.
THE SENATE finally is abandoning
its quaint tradition of verbal roll call
votes and joining the modern age with a
$250,000 electronic voting and message
board that outdoes the House for com-
plex gadgetry.
Both chambers are replacing their
unique 17-year-old carpeting bearing
alternating replicas of the state seal
and state map. The House is paying
$26,000 for 910 square yards of a similar
design and the Senate is shelling out
$40,000 for a more expensive weave.
The Senate also is junking its bulky
press gallery in favor of a wooden
structure closer in style to the upper
chamber's graceful old furnishings.
UniversiofY of the Philippines
Concert chorus
THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
7:30 P.M.-Thursday, July 19
State Street at William, Ann Arbor
PROGRAM INCLUDES:
SACRED MUSIC, FILIPINO FOLK MUSIC,
CHOREOGRAPHED PHILIPPINE SONGS
TICKET INFORMATION: Phone 662-5529 or 971-5723
CONTRIBUTION: $3.00 (students $1.00)
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE CONCERT
Proceeds for student scholarships