Nuclear energy and social impact

Abstract

Economic development and population increase are boosting a new process of energy demand all around the world which implies also a protection of the environment and, consequently, the reduction of emissions of CO2, a challenge that has to be solved. Fossil fuels represent the cheapest costs in capital and have as common features that their exploitation is based on largely known technologies, having developed a big experience in construction, operation and maintenance. However they are big environment polluters. Nuclear energy fulfils three of the main objectives that should be pursued for a steady development: (1) It does not emit Greenhouse gases. (2) It is the cheapest produced energy. (3) It guarantees a security in its supply due to the fact, among others, that it is not conditioned by external factors. However, as any other energy source, nuclear power has its own drawbacks. Some are real and some are fictitious. For this reason it becomes necessary to improve the social image of this source of energy, so as to counteract the negative consequences of the antinuclear discourse, promoted late in the seventies that has permanently undermined public acceptance. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.