Publisher's Synopsis
Nuclear power is not clean, cheap or safe. With Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima, the nuclear industry's record of catastrophic failures now averages one major disaster every decade. After three US-designed plants exploded in Japan, many countries moved to abandon reactors for renewables. In the US however, powerful corporations and a compliant government still defend nuclear power, while promising billion-dollar bailouts to operators.
Each new disaster demonstrates that the nuclear industry and governments lie to avoid panic and to preserve the myth of safe, clean nuclear power. Tokyo and Washington both covered up Fukushima's radiation risks and, when confronted with damning evidence, simply raised the levels of 'acceptable' risk to match the greater levels of exposure.
Nuclear Roulette chronicles the problems of ageing reactors, uncovers the costly challenge of decommissioning, explores the industry's greatest seismic risks, and explains how solar flares could black our power grids, causing the world's 400-plus reactors to self-destruct. This powerful expose concludes with a roundup of proven and potential energy solutions that can replace nuclear technology with a 'Renewable Renaissance', combined with conservation programmes that can cleanse the air and cool the planet.
