I Heart... Ralph Klein? The Hell?

EDMONTON (CP) -- Premier Ralph Klein is dismissing the possibility of allowing a nuclear power plant to be built in Alberta's oilsands region. Atomic Energy of Canada has previously confirmed ongoing discussions with several oilsands companies about the possibility of using nuclear power.

But Klein says Alberta has banned the production of nuclear power because there's no proven method of disposing of nuclear waste. Klein also says he's firmly against Alberta's oilsands companies using natural gas from the proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline. He says this would be "a tremendous waste of a resource." The premier says coal, hydroelectricity, coal bed methane and even burning bitumen to create power are all much better alternatives than using natural gas.

See, at first I thought this would be a moment where Ralph Klein would rip the mask off to reveal an informed, intelligent policy. Instead, read the last paragraph again: Klein would prefer dirty, sooty, CO2-intense coal to natural gas. Regulars will know I'm no fan of nuclear power, but the problems associated with nuclear power are actually less problematic than the problems with coal, if we look at it honestly.

Ralph Klein is a moron, and is now revealed to simply be just another NIMBY-ite. I'm happy that he's against nuclear, but not if it means making tar sands from coal, for heaven's sake.