According to PG&E, "the future is clean energy," meaning energy produced without the emission of carbon dioxide gas. When most people think of clean energy, they think of wind generators and solar panels. While these energy sources are obviously environmentally friendly, their use is limited and impractical on a large scale. Yet, many who search for an environmentally friendly energy source overlook the most practical source of all, nuclear energy. The power plants take up relatively little space, emit zero carbon emissions and leave very little radioactive waste behind.

A nuclear power plant produces energy with a controlled fission reaction that boils water to turn a generator. After the events at Chernobyl in the former USSR and Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania, many Americans began to fear a reactor meltdown, in which the reaction is no longer under control and overheats the fuel rods. In response, the U.S. government imposed new regulations on the construction and operation of nuclear reactors. Some cities like Berkeley, California banned nuclear energy all together. However, U.S. reactors have proven effective. 76 percent of power generated in France comes from U.S.-designed power plants.

Anything "nuclear" many seem dangerous, but if one compares the number of deaths resulting from nuclear power plants in the U.S. (zero) with the number of casualties in coal mines for coal plants (many), it becomes clear that nuclear energy is comparatively safe. The people who work in the control room have extensive training, so don't worry, Homer Simpson will never be able to cause a meltdown. There are also several layers of security at every nuclear plant; for instance, the control room door can only be opened from the inside.

Other opponents of nuclear energy claim the waste will remain for thousands of years. This is true, but the amount of radioactive waste is very small. America is well suited for nuclear energy because there are large parts of this country that are desolate enough for radioactive waste to be stored. For example, uranium stored in Yucca Mountain, Nevada would be harmless.

In addition, while the initial cost and energy required to build a nuclear power plant is high, over time, nuclear plants are much more cost effective than coal plants because much more fossil fuel is needed than enriched uranium to produce energy.

The downsides of nuclear energy, although small, do exist. There are large initial costs for building a plant and there is always the outlandishly small chance of a meltdown. Nevertheless, no renewable energy source is perfect. Wind generators are huge eyesores to hillsides and can kill birds. Even hydroelectric power is detrimental to river ecosystems.

In a speech at UCLA, former U.S. president Bill Clinton described how Brazil used sugar cane to achieve energy independence. While America will never be able to grow enough corn to become energy independent, we can start building nuclear plants. Even with the limited number of nuclear plants in the U.S. today, 20 percent of our energy is nuclear generated. If we stop fearing radioactivity, but rather embrace it as our hope for future energy demands, we can increase this percentage and move toward a sustainable future.