https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_shellenberger_how_fear_of_nuclear_power_is_hurting_the_environment
After watching Shellenberger's Ted Talk, I wholeheartedly agree with the message he is sending. Coming from someone who shares interest in both the environment and energy his points on our own fears surrounding nuclear energy distracting us from the goal of clean, renewable energy. Nuclear power generation is a very misunderstood beast, as Shellenberger states. After cataclysms such as Chernobyl, Fukishima and near misses like Three Mile Island, people throughout the world are weary of nuclear power. However, as the TED talk addresses, most injury and death from these events were caused by the chaos ensuing from fear itself. In fact, nuclear energy is some of the safest, most sustainable and reliable sources of clean energy available for use. Emitting only small amounts of carbon dioxide, nuclear produces more than half of the worlds clean energy. Even still, people around the world don't trust nuclear due to the potential of a reactor meltdown or other serious catastrophic. This widespread fear is reflected in the reduction of nuclear power plants worldwide, including the complete shut down of such plants in Japan. Shellenberger makes a great point in that we cannot allow our unfounded fears of something so potentially beneficial for our planet to be cast aside as "too dangerous". He cites advancements such as thorium reactors, which use a different fuel and reaction method to produce nuclear power and other clean, safe technologies. When it comes to nuclear power, the only thing to fear is fear itself.
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