Seeing the Light

There is a growing worldwide understanding that dealing with climate change requires a range of technologies to lower carbon emissions. Part of this understanding is that nuclear power must be part of this effort, for several key reasons. Nuclear defines an essential, large-scale source of reliable, continuous electricity with no emissions. It is an advancing technology in the process of expanding globally, taking the place of a great many fossil fuel plants that would add to the climate problem.

It is therefore time for a science-based understanding of this source. This means what it is, how it works, what its safety record shows, how its waste can be handled, where it is expanding, its economic issues, its next generation technologies, and, not least, the history and psychology of public fear. All of this is covered in plain language by this book. Other topics, such as radiation and its biological effects, the accidents at Fukushima and Chernobyl, and the history of nuclear weapons and non-proliferation efforts are also included.