Go Nukes!

After reading a description of an energy-efficient building (seen via the Enterprise Blog (seen via National Review Online)), I'm more in favor of nuclear energy than ever. From the article:

Each cubicle is on a strict energy budget of 55 watts. That means employees get a phone, a laptop and a task light. That's it.

Combination print-fax-copy machines are centrally located; each is shared by about 50 workers. "It's been…different," says Jennifer Daw, a project manager in the building.

Asked what she misses about her old office, Ms. Daw doesn't hesitate: "My heater. That's at the top of my list," she says. "But I drink lots of hot water," she adds, waiting for the communal microwave to warm a mug of tea. Overall, she says, she finds the new space pleasant.

If it's communal it doesn't use energy, of course. (I've commented on the same type of opinion before.)

Megan McArdle pointed out a problem with the energy-efficient devices:

In fact, when I look back at almost every "environmentally friendly" alternative product I've seen being widely touted as a cost-free way to lower our footprint, held back only by the indecent vermin at "industry" who don't care about the environment, I notice a common theme: the replacement good has really really sucked compared to the old, inefficient version.  In some cases, the problem could be overcome by buying a top-of-the-line model that costs, at the very least, several times what the basic models do.

Right-wing candidates often run on a platform of stopping new regulations. I think we should try to repeal old idiotic regulations instead. We can start with the toilets that don't work …