American Economic, Energy and Environmental Security 2019 (Richard McPherson) USofA

American Economic, Energy and Environmental Security 2019

By Richard McPherson September 2019 Reportedly Americans are fully employed; yet the interest-bearing national debt is $22.5 trillion and increasing. In 2018, total United States (US) trade with other countries was $5.6 trillion. US exported $2.5 trillion and imported $3.1 trillion. A difference of just $0.5 trillion. Not much of a difference to reduce the increasing interest-bearing national debt. Supposedly there are no more Americans available to join the workforce. Or are there? In 2018, according to the Labor Department 95 million Americans were “not in the labor force”. At the same time, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported low labor force participation was causing a lower gross domestic product (GDP) and lower tax revenues. The lower labor force also causes increased demands on taxpayer dollars from federal support programs. What now?

America’s workforce needs to expand and be more productive. It can, using advanced manufacturing including robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). Taking advantage of America’s natural resources and energy technology will create new manufacturing. That will reduce the need for imports, while increasing exports. At the same time creating new higher paying jobs requiring better educated Americans.

The single highest-value export-product to offset the US foreign trade deficit and put better educated Americans to work is electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and cyber protected small modular reactors (SMRs) and Molten Salt Nuclear Reactors (MSNBs). EMP protected MSNBs should be placed on our ~450 military bases providing electricity for critical infrastructure. The first of each type can be in operation in 2023. Domestically SMRs can replace fossil fueled power plants. Thereby reducing emissions.

American manufactured SMRs can prevent the China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from putting Chinese reactors from state-owned enterprises in many countries. China using debt-trap-diplomacy has agreements in at least 122 countries obtained by placing massive debts on them and using bribes. The effect of China’s placing massive debt on Sri Lanka, enabled China to take over the Port of Hambantota including 15,000 aces. In Venezuela, hundreds of Chinese funded projects have failed. These two examples of China’s debttrap-diplomacy agreements are well documented should serve as a clear warning to other countries that the BRI is saddling countries with unsustainable debt while increasing their dependency on China.

When members of Congress return to work they have the opportunity to sign one or more bills freeing up and supporting America’s nuclear industry to once again lead the world in carbon free electricity from nuclear power plants. The best alternative for world stability to help in eliminating poverty, disease, hunger and terrorism is American manufactured

1

SMRs in other countries creating 100-year energy, economic and environmental security relationship. That includes jobs in the nuclear supply chain.

For 70-years the National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS) in Idaho (now the Idaho National Laboratory [INL]) has been the worlds geographical-center for nuclear energy development. Today Idaho’s private and public sector involvement in the new SMRs and MSNBs and partially spent fuel management is poised to become the richest state percapita among all 50-states.

The Author has been involved in nuclear energy since entering the US Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program in 1963. After 20-years in the Navy, he worked in over 30countrys. Because of the Chernobyl accident he was asked to be the US Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) special six-nation group created to study “Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities, the Environment, and Public Opinion”. Today in Idaho he works to bring together humanitarian solutions under the nexus of agriculture, water and energy. Solutions including advancing nuclear energy among them.

2