IAEA officials say Fukushima’s ongoing release of treated radioactive wastewater is going well
PBS NewsHourJUL 2023
Japan Lifts Operational Ban on World's Biggest Nuclear Plant
Image copyright: IAEA Imagebank/Flickr [via Wikimedia Commons]
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Concerns about climate change, national security, and unreliable electrical grids have pushed the world to recognize that nuclear power has long been wrongfully stigmatized in national and international debate. Nuclear power is a zero-carbon, reliable energy source, and is far safer than other alternatives, such as coal and natural gas, in terms of deaths resulting from accidents and pollution.
Establishment-critical narrative
Though it would be easy to genuinely believe the revival of nuclear energy will solve ongoing crises, including climate breakdown, closer scrutiny shows an opposing reality. As atomic reactors risk being weaponized, nuclear power is less reliable or safe than its advocates claim. The world should be investing in weather-based renewable energy.