Waste not, want not
In response to “No nukes is good nukes” [Mailbag, February 14]: I understand that some of your readers may be concerned with the waste from nuclear power. But what they might not know is just how much waste we’re talking about. Since the first atom was split for peaceful electricity production nearly 50 years ago, there has been approximately 70,000 metric tons of used nuclear fuel created. That sounds like a pretty big number, so I’ll help you put that into perspective.
In just one year, the two nuclear power plants in Virginia, which provide about one-third of our power, prevent the release of about 50,000 tons of nitrous oxide, 100,000 tons of sulphur dioxide, and about 26 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. That’s like taking 2.4 million passenger cars off of the road. There are only about 4 million cars registered in the state of Virginia.
While the waste from burning these fossil fuels is released into the environment, the “waste” from nuclear power is fully contained and isolated from the environment and hasn’t harmed any- one. Best of all, this so-called waste is 95 percent recyclable as fuel for future energy supplies.
When you consider these facts, it is easy to see why so many environmentalists, like Dr. James Lovelock and Greenpeace founder Dr. Patrick Moore, now publicly support nuclear energy.
Michael Stuart
Public Information Officer
North American Young Generation in Nuclear Hanover County
Ace gets served
Dear Ace: You tell people to leave nothing at a buffet where servers make $2.13 per hour [“All you can cheap,” Ask Ace, February 14] when they depend on the goodwill of man to have a decent salary? They have families and schedules just like yours. Obviously, you believe some people are more important than others.
Your attitude promotes bad service and very bad attitudes in our communities and around the world. If an individual does not have 18 percent gratuity to leave anyone who serves you “anything” at a restaurant, then you should not go out at all. The concept of impressing anyone is completely irrelevant. That is a different topic altogether. Again, you are promoting taking advantage of people.
I work at a buffet right now to supplement my music-producing income. I have three children and get to my job half an hour early to prepare the restaurant for the customers. We have running side work throughout our shift that includes stocking heavy racks of glasses back and forth from the restaurant to the wet stations, making coffee and tea, preparing lemons, preparing the potato station, cleaning, wiping the tables, taking the plates to the back and individually dumping out each one, printing out the bills, refilling the drinks, and after cleaning your section each server is in charge of racking and rolling a bus tub of silverware, which could keep a server busy for an hour or hour and a half easily after every customer leaves. Sometimes we mop, sometimes we move the furniture around to wax the floors. And always we try to smile and keep our spirits up knowing that there are small-penis, huge-ego bastards like you that exist among us and promote their filth.
I hope to see a picture of you soon so that when you do show up at our cheap joint (because we all know you’re pre- tentious on dates but you’re a cheapskate every other day of the week), I’ll make sure something really nasty happens to you.
P.S.: Some buffet clients take two hours sitting and enjoying their meal. If they leave no tip everyone in the business understands that $2.13 an hour is not worth the job. Next time, you can take your plates to the dishwashers, make your own tea, get up and get your own glasses and bring a mirror so you can smile at yourself. (I’m sure you’re used to that last tip anyways.)
Dauby Sanger
Charlottesville