Judy Pasternak on the battle for mindshare surrounding uranium mining around the Grand Canyon:

In recent months, the uranium rush has spawned a clash as epic as the canyon’s 18-mile chasm, with both sides claiming to be working for the good of the planet.

Environmental organizations have appealed to federal courts and Congress to halt any drilling, arguing that mining so close to such a rare piece of the nation’s patrimony could prove ruinous for the canyon’s visitors and wildlife.

Mining companies say the raw material they seek is important to the environment, too: The uranium would feed nuclear reactors that could – unlike coal and natural gas – produce electricity without contributing to global warming.