Special report: Rescuing nuclear power

Special report: Rescuing nuclear power

The crisis at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi power plant has led to wild proclamations of the end of the nuclear era, but a low carbon footprint makes nuclear power an essential energy option. In this special report, New Scientist assesses the potential of reactors based on thorium and of next-generation reactors now under construction. On the way we compare the safety of nuclear with other energy sources