Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Nuclear Option – A Documentary About Energy

Nuclear Option – A Documentary About Energy

Here is the trailer for “The Nuclear Option,” a interesting-looking documentary that explores the questions surrounding the use of nuclear energy:
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Fear, confusion, and uncertainty have long polarized the debate around nuclear energy, making it a casualty of ignorance and poor association. Experts agree a safe, clean, and abundant alternative source of energy is required to meet the demands of explosive world population growth and rapid depletion of natural resources. What’s more, humanity’s reliance on a fossil fuel based economy has more than proved to be not only completely unsustainable, but also ecologically devastating. Renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power are promising, but lack the efficiency of scale to sustain the expected living standard of modern humans now and in the future. Faced with a slew of misconceptions and mired in a sea of bad public relations, nuclear energy has the ability to be the number one contender in the fight for an energy solution, but it faces an uphill battle. However, despite the negative imagery, there is qualitative and quantitative evidence to support the idea that from the get-go, nuclear energy has gotten a bad rap. The risks behind nuclear power need to be assessed alongside its benefits in an analysis that considers our values as a country, as the future of sustainable energy relies on helping the public determine the difference between science fiction and science fact. Our desire for economic progress has to be balanced by our good stewardship toward nature and humanity. Properly weighed with the values of modern industrialized society, nuclear energy stands to contribute powerfully to both of these ends.
Meanwhile, all of Japan’s nuclear reactors have been turned off. Although efforts are being made to fill the gap in energy output with massive imports of carbon-emitting natural gas, severe electricity shortages are expected this summer.
[via Atomic Insights]

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