The only weapon that can save the world is non-violence

So said Mohandas Gandhi.

Yet when it comes to all things nucelar and the nation he once lead, many seem to have ignored or forgotten the many words this great man said on the matter of nuclear weapons.

Enter George Bush and the proposed Nuclear dreams he holds for India and the US

"India is one of only four countries that have refused to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)—a treaty endorsed by 188 nations. Thumbing its nose at the world, India has conducted nuclear tests and has developed what experts believe to be 50 to 100 nuclear weapons. Under the terms of the NPT, the export of nuclear technology is banned to nations that don’t accept international inspections of their nuclear programs. In addition, U.S. law prohibits the transfer of nuclear technology to a country that rejects full international safeguards. U.S. law also bans such technology transfer to a non-NPT country that has conducted nuclear test explosions.

Thus, if the President were to give any weight to Gandhi’s ideas, international treaty obligations, or U.S. law, he would not be working to provide India with the same nuclear-capable technology that he so vigorously condemns in Iran—a country, by the way, that has signed the NPT, has undergone inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and has not conducted any nuclear weapons tests."

History News Network

There is a lot of hurdles at home Mr Bush must by pass before this deal can be done, changing some laws for example. Here I hope the democractic nature of the US system defeats what I can only see as a real dumb idea.

Back at home the nights are starting to get a little colder, already we've had the annual reports that our hydro lakes are low, that we may face a energy crisis over winter but don't worry power prices have already gone up and it seems little real progress has been made to do much to alleviate the distribution problems we face with our energy needs (read we can generate enough power to meet our needs, its moving it around that seems to be the major problem currently).

As we head back into this annual debate and news items, I expect the Nuclear card to once again raise its head. Now we don't need Nuclear energy in New Zealand, at least not in the forseeable future, we do need major infrastructure upgrades to our power networks, yet for us to ever go the way of Nuclear power it has always been said it would take 25 years, the bulk of which is time needed to change the average New Zealander's attitudes to Nuclear energy.

With this in mind I guess we're at around year 5

Nuclear power may just be the power source the world comes to rely on in future generations (where not already needed and used), yet I have faith in our worlds scienctists to find a better, safer, cheaper more efficient alternative that will hopefully mean our little nation need never go the way of Nuclear power nor many others for that matter.

In the meantime I hope no nation offers us support for any of the nuclear dreams our energy chiefs hold, for chances are we would be more than open to the offer, perhaps not this year, probably not next but eventually our fear of blackouts will mean the public will accept anything to keep the telly on during cold nights.

Which reminds me I must get a heater for this winter....