EVANSTON -- If nuclear power is the answer, as George Stanford argues in a Jan. 26 letter to the editor, then in true "Jeopardy" format, the question must obviously be, what energy source:

- Gave Illinois the highest electric rates in the Midwest throughout the '70s, '80s and '90s?

- May not produce much CO2 but continuously produces hazardous, long-lived, radioactive wastes, which have yet to be perpetually stored in an environmentally acceptable manner?

- Would be nearly seven times more costly at removing CO2 and reducing global warming than if we removed the same CO2 with simple energy conservation and better energy efficiency, which produce no radioactive wastes?

- Is favored by utility executives who have consistently and aggressively fought against meaningful expansion of energy efficiency and renewable-energy programs in Illinois and elsewhere?

- Wasted hundreds of millions of dollars on costly (and in the case of the two Zion reactors, unsuccessful) reactor repairs and fines in the 1990s--so much that Commonwealth Edison had insufficient money remaining to adequately maintain its distribution systems, resulting in numerous power outages?

- Also simultaneously threatens the planet by promoting proliferation of nuclear materials, expertise, technology and ultimately weapons?

The answer is "nuclear."

The current energy and global-warming crises demand aggressive implementation of energy efficiency and sustainable, renewable-energy resources, not more self-serving nuclear wastefulness disguised and marketed as "solutions."

It's time we stopped playing "nuclear jeopardy" with the planet.