LETTER TO EDITOR: Toward ending energy blackmail

There appears to be a direct, immediate and relatively painless way to fight back against our costly dependency on foreign oil and energy blackmail by hostile dictators. We can help ourselves and relieve the pressure on our economy by building nuclear power plants and using our vast natural gas resources.

Nuclear power plants are safe and far more ecology-friendly than coal and oil. Disposing of spent nuclear fuel rods is easy and safe. The U.S. Navy has operated many nuclear plants safely for more than a quarter of a century. Nuclear power plants are being used as primary sources of energy in France, Japan, India, Russia and other countries with great success.

In my opinion, the Sierra Club and ill-informed ecology and anti-nuclear-power lobbies are in need of re-education and are hurting our country and the American people. American companies are building a new nuclear plant in Lithuania, which will create jobs and save that country from considerable abuse and blackmail by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. It is clear that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is waging an energy war against America. The cartel cuts oil production to raise the price of oil whenever possible, which hurts our economy and helps create one economic crisis after another.

We need to take action now and start fighting back with nuclear power and natural gas. Metrobuses in the Washington area work well on natural gas, and automobiles already have been manufactured that can run on easily obtainable natural gas. It is time to stand up for America and do something about energy warfare against the Free World by the likes of Mr. Putin, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and others.

LT. COL. DOMINIK GEORGE NARGELE

Marine Corps (retired)

Arlington