From nuclear disasters like Chernobyl to the immense force of nuclear weapons, for much of the last 50 years, nuclear power has been seen by many as dangerous, environmentally problematic, and undesirable. But the tide has turned. Nuclear power is now endorsed as carbon-free, abundant, clean energy. The US is aiming to quadruple output in the next three decades. Britain is committed to building eight small nuclear reactors. Thirty countries have signed a pledge to triple nuclear power capacity. Yet critics claim we still lack a solution to nuclear waste, and the threat of a catastrophic nuclear accident has not gone away.
Is our criticism or endorsement of nuclear power driven by emotion rather than evidence? What is it about the technology that inspires such fear and such great hope, and are either justified? And crucially, is atomic power the future of energy or a dangerous mistake?
