John Ritch

John Ritch is U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Organization in Vienna, which includes the International Atomic Energy Agency. In the following viewpoint, Ritch maintains that nuclear energy is safer than energy derived from the combustion of fossil fuels. He claims that unlike energy from fossil fuels, nuclear power is safe for the environment because it does not produce greenhouse gases or other pollutants. Furthermore, nuclear power plants generate relatively small amounts of toxic waste in comparison with the production of waste by fossil fuel plants, he asserts.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What does Ritch blame for the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant"
2. What is the sole large safety problem involving nuclear power, in the author’s opinion"
3. According to Ritch, how much nuclear waste comes from industrial and...