“Something is just not right.” Wanda said to herself while strolling aimlessly. “It sure seems weird to be in shirtsleeves in the middle of February.  But the government is telling us to ‘make no never mind’ about climate change.  It’s confusing!”
            Wanda found herself slipping into the local coffee shop only to find her old buddy, Cy.  “Ha! You’re just the guy I’m looking for,” Wanda Know exclaimed as she slid in next to him.  “Straighten me out. I hear so many mixed messages about global warming.  Are worries  about climate change just a lot of hot air?”
            “You’re right about the hot air, but not in that way,” Cy Entist grinned. “Some folks apparently think not talking about climate change will make it go away.  Unfortunately, the predictions and modeling about climate change are playing out as expected.  The bottom line?  Atmospheric greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels and other sources are causing temperatures to rise. That’s the reality that can’t be just wished away.
            “The evidence keeps mounting.  One measurable example is the coral reef die-off from rising ocean temperatures.  And there are some ‘tipping points’ that would cause dramatic climate changes.  One concerns the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.  It’s what gives us the jet streams and relatively stable ocean circulation throughout the North Atlantic.  But, it’s beginning to slow because of higher temperatures.  If it shuts down, North America and Europe’s climate would alter drastically.”
            “So, we throw up our hands and cry?” Wanda asked. “Nope! It’s time to act!” Cy advised. “We adapt and prepare for the changes we know are coming.  We each continue to find ways to lower our own carbon footprint by eating lower on the food chain and moderating our use of fossil fuels.  With good old American ingenuity we develop ways to sequester (suck up and hold) atmospheric carbon and reduce methane emissions.”
            “I couldn’t help overhearing,” interrupted Buck Stoppsear from the next booth. “Don’t forget about the economic fallout from extreme weather events and heat-related issues.  It’s already catching the eye of insurance companies, investment firms and industries who want to protect their profits.  Leverage from business interests can be a powerful influence, you know.”
            “What’s needed,” Wanda declared, “is less hot air and more action.  After all, this is our only home where we’re all forever… Earthbound.”

            Ima strolled the aisles of the energy fair.  As a committed supporter of energy conservation and renewable energy, she’s been very pleased that clean energy sources are expanding rapidly.  Regardless of that progress, global temperatures continue to rise.  So Ima combed the displays in search of hopeful signs in the battle to preserve a stable climate.
            As she meandered, a hug banner “SMRs – Right for Our Time?” caught her eye. “What the heck is a SMR?” she wondered and headed in that direction.
            Under the banner, a friendly young fellow smiled at Ima and extended his hand. “Glad you stopped by.  I’m Otto.”  Glancing at the displays, Ima began to reach for his hand but then said, “Oh… I see this SMR stuff is nuclear.  Sorry, I’m not interested,” she replied and began to walk away.
            “Can I ask why?” Otto persisted. “Well,” Ima Frayed retorted, “you know…radiation pollution, Three-Mile Island and stuff like that.  It’s just too dangerous!”
            “Yup, I agree that nuclear energy is dangerous stuff.” Otto nodded. “We face lots of dangerous stuff these days.  Take temperature rise, for example.  That’s already killing loads of people both from the heat itself and from the increasingly frequent extreme weather events it produces. 
         “And our poor environment!  Climate change is wreaking havoc with it too.  I figure it’s time to weigh the relative dangers,”  Otto Reeconsidder suggested.  “Maybe we’ll find that some deployment of nuclear energy generation actually offers a safer pathway toward a healthy, stable future.  The safety of nuclear technology has been vastly improved, you know.”
            Otto explained that SMRs (Small Modular Reactors) are far safer than 1960s-designed reactors.  They utilize physical phenomena like natural circulation, convection, gravity, and self-pressurization.  Reactors can shut down and cool themselves without active components like pumps.  SMRs have factory-sealed cores so there’s limited on-site refueling of nuclear materials and decreased risk of proliferation. Their reduced size uses less radioactive material, so they operate at lower pressures decreasing the potential impact of a malfunction.  Moreover, SMR’s have “Black Start Capability.”  They don’t need external energy from the electrical grid to start up, an especially useful feature during widespread power failures. 
            “Golly,” Ima reflected, “Giving SMRs a fair reconsideration would be prudent because we can’t ignore the dangers of rising temperatures.  After all, this is our only home.  We’re all forever… Earthbound.”