FOSSILS IN CONTROL

DoE's CNES offers little in the way of change. Except for a decrease in nuclear energy, it relies on the same age-old energy source … fossil fuel. President Clinton submitted the CNES to Congress for approval of $6.3 billion in funding to implement the strategy.

During February 1998, as required under 42 USC 7321 Sec.801, DoE held three public hearings. Only 58 people offered oral testimony. Only 313 written comments on the draft CNES were received … with some commenters commenting more than once. Critics contend the relatively small amount of public comment does not meet the government's legal requirement that adequate public input on CNES be "...taken into account in the formulation and review of such proposed Plan."

From Bill Gates point of view $6.3 billion is not an inconsiderable amount of money, it's more than 10% of his entire fortune. To the United States, which spent well over $5 trillion on its nuclear arsenal alone, $6.3 billion is not all that much. How that sum is spent to implement contemporary energy strategy, however, will be crucial to life on tomorrow's planet.

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