by Chris Stewart

Created on: December 19, 2007

We are rapidly approaching the "event horizon" of energy consumption across the world. Led by the United States (though developing countries such as China are quickly catching up), the age of cheap fossil fuels is nearing its endgame. Though there are several "alternative" energy sources being developed, nuclear power remains the most viable solution for our ever-growing energy demands.

The primary argument against such a step - that nuclear power is inherently dangerous and potentially catastrophic - is, all-in-all a vestigial relic of the Cold War. People hear the word "atomic" or "nuclear" and think annihilation. In fact, little could be further from the truth. Nuclear power has, worldwide, been far less dangerous than the continued extraction and refinement of fossil-based fuels. The infamous exceptions - Chernobyl and the Three Mile Island incidents - are just that: exceptions. Undoubtedly, Chernobyl was and remains an unmitigated disaster. People were killed, and habitats were destroyed from decades to come. However, what is less commonly known is that those operating the facility had removed several safeguards and been cutting dangerous corners in order to run unauthorized, after-hours "experiments" with the reactor. The results were tragic, yes, but they were predictable amid such blatant human idiocy. Had safety protocols been maintained, it never would have occurred.

Three Mile Island is another story. The reactor there went critical as a result of accidental mechanical failure. It sounds scary, and is often remembered as such. However, it is important to note that since proper containment protocols were followed, the nuclear meltdown never even breached the containment unit. What is important to note in both of these cases is that, though they are pointed to as the examples of why nuclear power is dangerous, they actually show no such thing.

Recent world events, of course, have opened up the possibility of a new nuclear horror: rogue states and/or terrorist organizations acquiring enough fissile material to create either a "dirty" radiation bomb, or even worse, construct their own fusion bomb. Terrible as these threats seem, their possibility is extremely remote. The time, energy, specialized knowledge, money, and material it would take to both acquire the necessary material and build a working bomb are incredibly prohibitive, especially given that said organizations have proved their ability to use far more conventional and cost-effective means of

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