Public not convinced on nuclear comeback

The nuclear industry itself may be the biggest obstacle to the revival of nuclear power. The author explains that the issue is one of credibility. Citizens perceive the industry to have consistently underestimated nuclear powers complexity, risks, and costs. Numerous studies have disclosed past instances of deception - coverups concerning radiation hazards, suppression of accident reports and accident probabilities, and misleading economic claims. At best cohn says, pro-nuclear experts failed to acknowledge the uncertainties that accompanied the commercialization of a new and complex technology. As a result, the public turned to nuclear critics for information. It is unlikely that public skepticism can be reversed. Cohn says the industry may be repeating its previous mistakes by its current claims for the expected economy and performance of advanced design, passively safe reactors. In efforts to rebuild its credibility, he says, the nuclear industry must seek to include nuclear skeptics in the planning and oversight of new nuclear initiatives