PBS FRONTLINE on Nuclear Power

[Gary Schroeder <schroede@mail.sep.bnl.gov>]

I received a PBS press release from our public affairs department yesterday
regarding an upcoming PBS Frontline episode entitled "Nuclear Reaction".  I
thought this would be of interest to the Radsafe community.  Here's are
sections of the release (it's too lengthy to include in its entirety):

"Thirty years ago, many Americans were enthusiastic about nuclear power.
Demand for energy was so high that some analysts projected there would be
one thousand reactors in operation by the end of the century.  Today,
things look very different.  Concerns about safety, rising costs, and waste
disposal have derailed the nuclear dream." 
[...]
"On Earth Day, Frontline asks, 'Does America have it right or wrong?'  In
'Nuclear Reaction' [...] Frontline presents a controversial examination of
America's relationship with nuclear power, looking at the scientific facts
about radiation, the industry's safety record, and the psychology of human
risk perception."
[...]
"Frontline examines the risks posed by nuclear power, dispelling some
widely held myths.  Despite nuclear power's reputation, nobody has ever
been killed or injured as a result of a US commercial reactor accident
involving radiation in 40 years of operation.  In comparison with virtually
all other complex technologies - aviation, automobiles, chemicals - the
industy's record is exemplary." [...]

Other topics indicated include TMI, French and Japanese nuclear industries,
and waste burial controversies.  Based on the release, this appears to be a
very fair review of the issues.  Richard Rhodes (a name you may recognize)
is the correspondent for this episode.

"Nuclear Reaction" airs April 22, at 9 pm on your local PBS station.

=======================
Gary L. Schroeder
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Environmental Protection Office
gs1@bnl.gov