Last week saw President Obama’s first State of the Union address, given amidst one of the more contentious political climates in recent memory. Liberals feel left down that Obama hasn’t followed through on, basically, anything on his agenda, while Conservatives feel that Obama has pushed through, basically, everything on his agenda.

So when Obama took the podium on January 27, sporting a deep red tie with his blue suit, he was shadowed by Vice President Biden, Speaker of the House Pelosi, and First Lady Michelle Obama, who all appeared in “moderate” purple. (Red and blue make purple, apparently the new color to symbolize “crossing the aisle.”) The President tried to reassure the public about the state of the economy. He called the unpopular bank bailouts “as popular as a root canal” but necessary to save the system. He acknowledged that health care has reached a stalemate, and that Americans must support the middle class.

But for greenies, the highlight of the President’s address came when he brought up his plans for green energy. Obama encouraged American innovation and jobs in clean energy. He called for tough decisions about opening new areas for offshore oil development. (This is where greenies look at each other, worried, as the “Drill, baby, drill” of the McCain/Palin Republican convention still rings out our ears. Okay, mine.) Obama continued on to call for continued investment in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies. He emphasized to Congress the importance of passing a comprehensive a comprehensive energy and climate bill that would make clean energy the profitable source in energy. He pointed out that the House has already passed this resolution and he’s eager to help bipartisan effort in the Senate.

Obama brought up the “overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change.” (Here people jeered Obama and apparently, science.) He concluded clean energy on an uplifting note. “Even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentive for clean energy is the right thing to do. The nation that leads in clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation.”

But it comes with this kicker – Obama has called for a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country. Naturally, this promotion of nuclear energy is met with a mixed reaction. But many have seen it as an Obama effort to reach out to Republicans and moderate Democrats. As reported by The Associated Press, “the 104 nuclear reactors in operation in 31 states provide only 20 percent of the nation's electricity. But they are responsible for 70 percent of the power from pollution-free sources, including wind, solar and hydroelectric dams.”

And the Republican response to this call for nuclear energy has been positive. As stated by Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, "Up until now, the administration has been pursuing a national windmill policy instead of a national energy policy, which is the military equivalent of going to war in sailboats.” Political experts seem to agree that Obama’s support of nuclear energy, as well as opening up offshore drilling, will likely secure the necessary 60 votes to overcome a likely filibuster from opponents.

Further, Bloomberg reports that the Obama administration will propose tripling loan guarantees for new reactors to more than $54 billion.  Nuclear energy does emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide and is much “cleaner” than coal or oil. It generates a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant.

It sounds like a good deal for the Earth, right? Absolutely, if you fail to consider that if a nuclear reactor “melts down,” you are looking at high level casualties and mass environmental destruction. Terrorists are fans of nuclear reactors, as experts note it is technically impossible to build a plant with 100% security. And the energy source is uranium, which is a scarce resource. Its supply is estimated to last only for the next 30 to 60 years, depending on demand.

One can conclude that the issue of providing a reliable source of safe, clean energy will remain a problem to be solved for the American public.

Missed the State of the Union address? Watch it and tell us what you think about Obama’s new energy stance.

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