APEC Energy Week
August 23-27, 1997, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)

Nuclear Energy

"At present, I am of the opinion that of all the current means of producing electricity, nuclear energy has the greatest potential for growth and refinement. With the introduction of the CANDU reactor in China and its installation in Korea and other countries around the world, Canada is gaining an international reputation as a leader in the nuclear industry. With the popularity of CANDU growing, I believe that the need for energy professionals will increase exponentially.
However, the unfortunate events of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island could make the advancement of nuclear energy rather difficult. In response to that I expect that if nuclear energy is to be the key means of producing electricity in the future, there will be an even greater demand for energy professionals to quell the public's fear of nuclear energy and to strengthen safety measures such that the events of Chernobyl will never again be repeated.

There are however, many who are opposed to nuclear energy and the environmental threats they pose. As a result, I believe that funding will be put into finding another means of producing electricity (ie. harnessing energy from hydrogen). Consequently, many opportunities will be open in that field of research as well.

Some current institutional capacities have employed extremely gifted individuals to conduct research but do not have adequate funding to pursue many of their projects. This is quite unfortunate especially when Canada has a breadth of very educated, talented individuals from all fields of study who could contribute significant work to the energy sector if the funds were available."
(Laura Sie, youth delegate, APEC Energy Week)

"The key to nuclear power is that you must have very qualified individuals who know what they are doing. As well, very controlled, very active management is needed to ensure the maximum safety.

I know that there are many concerns with nuclear energy because this is a technology that without controls is a source of massive destruction. So it is with any sort of technology. A car, for example, a piece of mechanical technology that brings vast benefits to humans, including transporting people, goods, saving time and increasing personal communication ties. Uncontrolled, too many cars cause gridlock, careless drivers may kill bystanders and the fumes pollute air.

There is no perfect technology. But kept under careful rein, I believe the benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks."
(Gaylene Kennedy youth delegate, APEC Energy Week)

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