[red-beard]

I guess what isn't understood is that the only way to make uranium "safe" from terroists, is to run it through a nuclear reaction. You see, then it can't be used in a bomb. Our reactor designs go against making plutonium, and the little that is produced can also be run through a reactor cycle and made inert.

As far as 'waste' is concerned, the 'waste' is concentrated left over nuclear material that is less radio active. The difference between uranium in the ground and nuclear waste is A) one is less radioactive, B) we know where it is.

As I've stated many many times, the nuclear industry is actually cleaning the enviorment of a fairly nasty material and making it more safe.

Now as to why the oil companies have a moral obligation to fund research into alternative energies that will cost them money, I think you are rowing against the tide. If oil is running out and they can make money selling different forms of energy, they will surely get up and do it. And I think you will find that most of the "oil" companies are re-aligning themselves to be "energy" companies. But at this point, there is only 1 workable alternative energy that can produce sufficient energy to offset petroleum sources, and that is Nuclear Fission. Nothing else can make a dent.