Looking at Iran’s Nuclear Program From an Energy Perspective

Recently, Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated an historic agreement with the government of Iran, regarding their use of nuclear technology. In short, the agreement will result in lifting some economic sanctions in exchange for vows and a verification program, to ensure that Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons. The agreement has provoked quite a bit of attention, including a visit to Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and a letter from Congress to the Iranian government, both disparaging the agreement. The premise of the talks is that an atmosphere of openness and communication is more conducive to maintaining peace than sanctions and threats.

The Iranians claim that they desperately need nuclear power to maintain and grow their economy. That has been questioned by some writers, who say that, looking at this strictly from an energy perspective. Given Iran’s fossil fuel wealth, why should they require nuclear power, with its financial and safety challenges, at this time, when a number of countries are moving away from it?

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Image credit: kmichiels: Flickr Creative Commons

RP Siegel, author and inventor, shines a powerful light on numerous environmental and technological topics. He has been published in business and technical journals and has written three books. His third, co-authored with Roger Saillant, is Vapor Trails, an eco-thriller that is being adapted for the big screen. RP is a professional engineer – and a prolific inventor, with 50 patents, numerous awards, and several commercial products. He is president of Rain Mountain LLC and is an active environmental advocate in his hometown of Rochester, N.Y. In addition to Justmeans, he writes for Triple Pundit, ThomasNet News, and Energy Viewpoints, occasionally contributing to Mechanical Engineering, Strategy + Business, and Huffington Post.