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opinion
Page 6 -Sturday, July 10, 1982 The Michigan Daily
The Michigan Daily
Vol. XCI, No. 37-S
Ninety-two Years of Editorial Freedom
Edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan
Nucleartroubles
ANEW REPORT has criticized Western
nations for neglecting the future by not
giving more support to the nuclear power in-
dustry. What the report fails to say, however, is
that currently there is no future for nuclear
power.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development, which is comprised of the
leading economic nations of the Western World,
issued the report that cities "good economic
and technical reasons for taking the nuclear
path."
If that statement were true, people would see
nations and public utilities rushing to nuclear
power as a saviour from diminishing oil sup-
plies. Actually, just the opposite is true-a
mass exodus from the nuclear dreams of
yesteryear is occurring. Nuclear power has
become both an economist's and safety
engineer's nightmare.
Increasingly, the cost of a nuclear power
plant is outweighing the energy that will be
derived from it. In Washington and Oregon,
construction costs of several nuclear power
plants were melded into consumer electric
bills. After billions of dollars in investments,
however, the utility shelved the plants because
of skyrocketing costs, leaving consumers to
foot the bill without a single kilowatt of nuclear
energy having been generated.
And the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
disclosed recently that its previous estimates of
the safety of nuclear energy were, in fact, way
too optimistic. There also has been no suitable
method found to dispose of nuclear waste.
Unless the myriad of problems that face the
nuclear industry are solved, neglecting expan-
sion is justified and will undoubtedly increase.
EVERYBOY OUT OF LEBANON BUT THE LEBAESE?
WHAT ARE YO, SOME KINPDOF NUT?"
N ,
'U' resurrects
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smaller Geography
ALTHOUGH the University
lost a geography department
this month, it may be gaining a
Program of Geography by the
fall.
University faculty and ad-
ministrators say the program
probably will be approved for this
Fall term and provide a sub-
stitute for the department that
formally closed July 1. The
program, likely will have a staff
composed mostly of the eight
tenured geography professors
who remained past the depar-
tment's closing and will allow
students to graduate with a
bachelor's degree in geography.
The program already has
received measured approval
from geography professors." Bet-
ter little than nothing," said for-
mer geography department
chairman John Nystuen, but ad-
ded, "It's no substitute for the
dlenartment"
Frye tentatively agrees to MSA
plan'
Students count?
FEELING A little left out of
the planning process, the
Michigan Student Assembly
submitted it's own proposal for
handling the University's $20
million budget reallocation, and
surprisingly enough, gained
some administrative support this
week.
The three-fold proposal calls
for further clarification and
justification in programs con-
sidered "high priority areas,"
public forums involving students,
faculty, and administrators to
discuss and debate redirection
issues, and the formation of a
committee that will make
reallocation decisions.
Vice President for Academic
Affairs Billy Frye said he is
"very much in favor of this
proposal," althoughhe felt an
"independent committee" to
form budget policy is un-
necessary because its function
will duplicate the already
existing Budget Priorities Com-
mittee.
It is now up to Frye, the Senate
Advisory Committee on Univer-
sity Affairs, the BPC, and MSA to
implement the proposal that is
supposed to give students a
greater voice in the redirection
process-though some student
leaders are skeptical of the ad-
ministration's sincerity
An empty shell
CONTRACTORS and striking
ironworkers agreed to
disagree at Tuesday's contract
negotiation meeting, keeping
construction at the University's
Replacement Hospital Project at
a near standstill.
Although workers from other
unions are still doing concrete
and road work, the ironworkers
strike has completely halted
work on the steel structure of the
hospital. Both University of-
ficials and contractors were un-
sure how much longer the strike
will continue.
Hospital planner Marsha
Bremer insisted the project
would probably not face higher
costs, but until the strike is en-
ded, the hospital project will
remain little more than an empty
steel shell of its future self.
The Week in Review was
compiled by Lou Fintor, Julie
Hinds, and Kent Redding.
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The program's budget has not
been decided yet, but will be
significantly smaller than that of
the original department, ad-
ministrators speculated. The
graduate program has been
completely eliminated, though
Nystuen called it the "best part"
of the department.
"That's too bad," said Vice
President for Academic Affairs
Billy Frye of the graduate
program, "but I don't want to
reopen the debate (on that
issue)."
LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Freeze the arms race
To the Daily:
On July 15, the U.S. House of
Representatives will consider the
Nuclear Weapons Freeze
proposal (HJR 521). Represen-
tative Carl Pursell (R-Plymouth)
has not yet committed his sup-
port to the proposal. I encourage
all those who support the freeze
proposal to call or write Rep.
Pursell and express your
feelings.
The Nuclear Weapons Freeze
proposal calls on the president to
propose to the Soviet Union a
mutual and verifiable freeze on
the development and deployment
of nuclear weapons. This is a
modest but necessary first step
towards ensuring the security of
our nation and the world. The ber general election ballots. In
arms race threatens our lives and Michigan, 385,000 voters placed
country with total, irreparable the Freeze proposal on the
destruction. Every nuclear November ballot; 33,000 of those
weapon produced, tested, or voters reside in Washtenaw
deployed increases the already County.
intolerable risk. The arms race Carl Pursell must be made
must be stopped. aware of the overwhelming sup-
The freeze has the support of port for the freeze among his con-
between 70 percent and 80 per- stitutents. Call or write him
cent of the American people. today. Dan Soloman
Voters in eleven states have July9, 1982
placed the issue on their Novem-
Letters and columns represent the opinions of the
individual author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the
attitudes or beliefs of the Daily.