Fading prospects
THE future of nuclear pow~r worldwide appearS to be hanging in balance. Its prospects looked rosy 20 years ago when steep rise in oil prices compelled the Western nations to face the dreadful possibility of a serious and lasting energy shortage.
Yet at that time, nuclear energy was not being perceived as a safe and viable solution. But there was no denying the simple fact that 100 gm of uranium could produce as much energy as a tonne of oil. As a result, today 431 ato- mic reactors,in 44 countries provide five pe!: cent of world's energy needs, while 55 others are being built in France, Russia, China, India and several pther Asian countries.
Even so, the nuclear industry now seems to have passed its heyday. Since the accidents at Three Mile Island, US, in 1979, and at Chemobyl, Ukraine, in 1986, public opinion has proved power- ful eno~gh in Germany to bring its nuclear progiammeto a halt. A similar situation prevails in the US, where the 110th power station is now unlikely ever to seethe light of day.
In their fight against n~clear power, environnl~ntalistshave recently had the support of certain financial experts, who have revised their profitability calcula- tions. Under pressure from the com- mercial and financial bodies, the UK government has postponed theprivatisation of its 16 existing nuclear power stations and decided not to build any more. The main reason for this turn-around has been the discovery of new deposits of fossil fuel and their declining prices. which means that it will be available for a longer period than was original thought.
This brings up the fundamental question: Was it. and is it still a good idea to continue relying on nuclear energy? The authorities in all nations have ignored the need for any public debate about the wisdom of maintaining such policies. Isn't it high time they changed their minds?