4 0 S 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 4 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. 4 4 I 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.