What is the vision of our radioactive future? Illustration courtesy of senior Owen Blackwell

  Diablo Canyon has existed on the central coast for over 38 years and has for the most part been an important and reliable source of power.

  PG&E (the company that owns and operates the pant) announced in 2016 that they would begin the process of shutting down the plant as it neared its life expectancy.

  Since then there has been a rising debate over whether or not it should remain open with governor Gavin Newson requesting for PG&E to extend its current license with the state of california. Although this sparked controversy among the Central Coast as the debate of whether or not it is safe enough to keep the plant open.

 Adding to this debate most recently is PG&E’s new estimated cost of shutting down which rounds to $4.1 billion dollars.

“I do not think closing Diablo canyon is a good idea, even if it was free. Diablo not only provides many people with power but is also responsible for funding many essential public services,” said seinor Owen Speidel.

  As the fears of nuclear energy start to collide with the current climate crisis many individuals over the recent year have changed their minds about the shutdown of Diablo Canyon..

  “Personally, I think that Nuclear Energy is one of the safest forms of energy and one of the least dangerous according to statistics comparing it to coal and other forms of energy with deaths per kilojoule of energy,” said environmental club leader and senior May Riter.

  Of course the flip side of the argument is easy to see for some students, especially those who have seen the horrors of a nuclear disaster. Is it possible to think of an actual future like the one portrayed in HBO’s miniseries “Chernobyl”? 

  Whatever actions PG&E takes it will be sure to leave a lasting impact on the future of SLOHS and the Central Coast as a whole.

Source: KSBY.com