Summary of The mirage of nuclear power

Summary of The mirage of nuclear power


Summary of “The Mirage of Nuclear Power”
In “The Mirage of Nuclear Power” published in the Los Angeles Times newspaper on July 30, 2007, a specialist in the history of science and technology Paul Josephson asks why, environmentalists and President Bush signify nuclear power as a cure for independency of nations on oil and a key to stop global warming; while it has insurmountable problems, and the industry did not have an efficient background. Josephson points out about the nuclear power’s problem including: its high price, inefficiency on solving problems regarding all nuclear power stations and on a readiness to ignore the dreams that never came true which proves its lousy background. Explaining that “too cheap to meter” energy is expensive and will exceed $3 billion to build a reactor, Josephson acknowledges the obvious impracticality of industries to hold down the prices of reactors’ components. Also reactors need “electronic safeguards” against terrorist threat and accident, and stations must be built far from the crowd to ensure public safety, which cost a lot. According to Josephson, there is no storage facility for spent fuel and nuclear waste; therefore, they are stored temporarily in bowls of water or in concrete barrels, and more than 150 Americans live within 75 miles of nuclear waste, as stated by the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management which is dangerous. Industry spokesperson, government regulators and nuclear engineers promise for the “nation’s security” and independency through “secure reactors.” But Josephson argues, that they are the “same industry” that caused aircraft and satellites. (255 words)

Work Cited
Josephson, Paul. “The Mirage of Nuclear Power.” The Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2007. Latimes.com. Web. 30 July 2007. .

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