Nuclear Energy: Broadening the Vision

The nuclear forties and fifties were full of the “Vision Thing” as Americans like to say with some contempt. Nuclear power did not turn out to be that cheap, and nuclear-powered cars and airplanes did not materialise. Today, the criteria on which energy sources are chosen have become more complex. The plain technical feasibility and the direct cost of energy generation remain fundamental - but there is more. Environmental impact is acquiring vital importance. Reliability of operation and assurances of fuel supply are primary factors - and energy independence is yet another. With nuclear energy entering a new era, now is the right time to take a reading, to put things in perspective and to broaden the vista. While keeping in mind what has already been achieved over the last fifty years, there is indeed a need to broaden the vision and to identify some of the issues that will shape the future of nuclear power around the world. Some say that nuclear is not a panacea, but still, it can be a potent contribution to the world’s needs for energy - in a quasi-sustainable frame