LETTER: We need clean energy — and fast

In his May 21 column, Victor Joecks wrote that we should “stop stressing out about climate change.” On June 3, the Review-Journal featured a story about a survey by UNLV which found that heat is a hot topic.

Burning fossil fuels will continue to cause additional atmospheric heating. But there is also an ever-increasing demand for more energy. There is no immediate solution to burning fossil fuels to satisfy this need.

It is important that we move away from fossil fuels. But green energy needs back-up when these intermittent sources are not producing enough. We need reliable energy sources that produce no CO₂. To supplement solar and wind, there are three sources of energy that produce no greenhouse gases: nuclear, geothermal and hydroelectric.

Nuclear energy is experiencing a resurgence of interest. Proponents have not resolved the waste issue, but modern designs can use more of the fuel, producing less radioactive waste per unit of energy generated.

Geothermal energy uses hot water generated deep in the Earth to drive its turbines. The used water is cycled back into the Earth for reheating and subsequent reuse. It produces no waste and requires no fuel.

Hydroelectric energy has been very reliable. With climate change, however, hydroelectric can be affected by reduced precipitation, as with Hoover Dam, which is generating about half its rated output.

We must implement these resources as soon as we can to reduce CO₂ production.