America relies heavily on foreign sources for the energy needed to run the country. The issue has received a lot of media attention due to the political and economic implications it will have in the near future. This problem could be solved at least in part by using technology that already exists, rather than relying heavily on those that have yet to be built. America's energy problems – particularly its dependence on fossil fuels – can be solved by reviving nuclear energy with the use of politics to address perceived dangers, technological advances to make them more feasible, and public awareness to promote them. acceptance. Nuclear energy has been around for decades and can easily be used to help meet America's energy needs. With energy security and climate change being two of many issues at the forefront of America's problems, there is a growing need to find solutions. While alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal have great potential, these are technologies that still need to be refined and perfected. In contrast, nuclear energy has been around for decades and is already used to a limited extent. Instead of relying on the future for our growing energy needs, using the past could be at least part of the solution. By investing in nuclear energy, a large part of our energy needs can be easily met. This is already the case in some parts of Europe where nuclear energy contributes to a large part of their energy needs. According to Balat, France obtains approximately three-quarters of its electricity through nuclear energy (2007). While nuclear energy alone cannot be the complete solution, it can provide a large part of it. It is well known that America will have to find alternatives for... middle of paper... the power plant. In turn this means that operators must invest in appropriate safety and management to prevent waste from becoming a growing problem. Furthermore, a base of public support is needed for nuclear energy to gain traction. Without public approval of what is happening, nothing can happen. There needs to be a general consensus on what needs to be done and what is acceptable. Plant operators and governments must demonstrate that they are capable of operating power plants. Aside from hydroelectric power, nuclear power is the only proven energy source that does not contribute greenhouse gases to climate change. Nuclear energy is just one part of a larger solution needed to reduce America's contribution to climate change. Nuclear energy is beneficial in the long term and may prove to be a good starting point for the development of cleaner energy sources.