Nuclear: Green but not safe

The latest news about Japan's earthquake (that a small crew of technicians are staying at the compromised Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station hoping to prevent a nuclear catastrophe) is making me think about the countries that have chosen nuclear as their main energy source, like France.

Lately, they've been praised for having opted for a non-polluting, "green" energy source. But at what price? Because when nuclear goes wrong, boy does it go wrong. And can we even call that trade-off "green?" Can a ticking time bomb be earth-friendly?

So now I'll get up on my solar energy soap box and point out that when solar goes wrong, there's no risk of a Three Mile Island accident.

(Photo: Reuters)