The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Nuclear Power

Breeder reactors produces more fissile material than it destroys and is also more efficient, able to extract more energy from uranium than a burner. Despite this, breeders are controversial. The CANDU system is the more rival to breeders, and it operates using less heavily enriched uranium and heavy water. Breeder reactors may be more efficient, but they also produce fissile material that can be used for nuclear weapons, this is why they are so controversial. There exists a fear that building breeder reactors will encourage nuclear proliferation.

It is interesting how the reading suggests there is a divide in how the problem of nuclear waste is perceived. Nuclear waste and what to do with it is in the eyes of politicians and the populace one of the more significant problems when dealing with nuclear energy. Yet the readings suggest that scientists are not as concerned with this. Radioactive materials produced by reactors are not large in volume. The same is true with regards to chances of a nuclear meltdown or contamination. The evidence suggests that the chances of this is minuscule, yet there is still widespread fear of nuclear energy plants.

The entire issue of nuclear energy is made so complicated and controversial because of the innate fear people have of all things nuclear. This of course is a large contrast to earlier in the 20th century when there was so much enthusiasm for the atomic age. The perception that nuclear reactors are dangerous is perhaps more important than just how dangerous they truly are. The fear of a meltdown or contamination makes the creation of nuclear energy plants so controversial, even if the chances of this actually happening are very remote.

The truth is that society has been unwilling to accept the dangers of nuclear energy regardless of how small the chance of a meltdown or contamination. People don't like to think in terms of probability when dealing with a nuclear disaster.