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Why Nuclear Power Is Not The Dream That Failed

  • The rising prices of fossil fuels and the unreliability of alternative sources like solar and wind power means that the charms of nuclear power may still returns, thanks to improvements in safety and technology, says Dr K S Parthasarathy.

  • One year post the Fukushima nuclear accident, an avalanche of articles examined the status of nuclear power worldwide. Among them, an article titled "Nuclear power, the dream that failed" in The Economist of March 10, stirred a section of the discerning readers in India.

  • The magazine's admirers include some decision makers who appreciate complex arguments. However, the case against nuclear power is seldom based on rational arguments but on perception fueled by raw emotions and on hard economics. The article is one-sided; it did not reflect the global developments. Is nuclear power the dream that failed?

  • The article revealsthat over 26 years ago, The Economist observed that the only way forward for a somewhat moribund nuclear industry (emphasis is mine to show the magazine's bias) was "to get plenty of nuclear plants built, and then to accumulate, year after year, a record of no deaths, no serious accidents -- and no dispute that the result is cheaper energy."

  • The magazine ignores the success story of the French nuclear industry. It says little about the improvements in safety and commendable performance of nuclear power plants in USA, post the accident at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant.

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