Aphelion Issue 301, Volume 28
December 2024 / January 2025
 
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A Modest Proposal

by Richard Tornello


We now are becoming more aware
Of increased heat and gas and air.
To one aspect I would like to share
An idea not heard too much in here.

Since electric vehicles batteries currently designed
are not really for prime time;
and in order to reduce, this resistance to their use
a proposal, I do produce:

We generate electricity up in space
With nuclear power and not a trace!
Why not utilize reactors same
Shield them with batteries lead in its place?

You'd get good speed and
oh, the distance.
You could power your street.
Why resistance?

What about the rods you say
when it come time to throw away?
To the Sun or Mars or Venus?
None of them are way too near us.

But what if rocket to space does fail
Then dangerous activity does befall?
Well let's look at numbers every day
do confront US and comment barely:
From tobacco 400K to graves go annually,
Fifty thousand more, the same
crash vehicular and who gets that blame?

How too often does a rocket flail?
So let's say every year 5 or so
we get one to run aground.
The loss in numbers would be a wash
from all above plus diseases harsh,

You think this idea would get some traction.
To our congress demanding action we should write!
Our countries will not be held hostage to outside fuel, outside products.
Let's those reactors light tonight!


© 2007 Richard Tornello

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