After fukushima what we know (Andrew Daniels) Canada

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After Fukushima: What We Now Know: A History of Nuclear Power and Radiation Book summary Andrew Daniels 2013 – 2014

Ottawa born and raised historian, resident of Toronto. Writer about ultra-modern history: nuclear power, radiation, post-Cold War (1989-), Rwanda, modern Afghanistan, and Japan. Studied at Toronto, HK, Kyoto, Ottawa and fluent in English, French and Japanese.

The discovery of fission created a new kind of fear, not simply a new iteration of the previous responses to new technology. This new fear was profound, disquieting and all encompassing. By the time nuclear power was introduced, anxiety and concern about nuclear weapons had already fostered perceptions that left a long-lasting legacy that would taint nuclear power for decades. Nuclear power would struggle to cope with the blurred distinctions between military and civilian applications for its entire history.

Technology has since introduced revolutionary changes that reshaped every aspect of civilization and society. More knowledge has accumulated about medicine in the last century than in the previous thousands of years. Machines are exploited like never before, and farming and industry have become highly productive and efficient. Freed from the obligation to work the land, cities swelled with workers in numerous new occupations. Technology increases productivity steadily, leading to higher levels of prosperity. Facilitating these changes were technological advances in transportation, communications, computing and energy.

While numerous technologies had revolutionary effects on society, the advances in 1

energy science and engineering were crucial to enable emerging technologies.

Understanding electricity was not enough, we had to be able to convert one form of energy into another for electricity to be as practical as it is now. Nothing was as crucial as the steam engine which allowed us to use heat energy for propulsion, and the turbogenerator allowed us to convert heat into electricity. Without our mastery of electricity and our expertise in converting one form of energy into another, numerous inventions would not have been possible.

Apprehension and suspicion greeted new technologies as segments of society pushed back, trying to preserve the status quo. The railroad, vaccination, robotics, electrical transmission, as well as computing were all feared to have unforeseen consequences.

There were sometimes valid new concerns, but some managed to invent additional sinister ones. The arrival of nuclear weapons created a new kind of fear, not simply a new iteration of the previous responses to new technology. This new fear was profound, disquieting and all encompassing. By the time nuclear power was introduced, anxiety and concern about nuclear weapons would become a long-lasting legacy that would taint perceptions of nuclear power for decades. Nuclear power would struggle to cope with the blurred distinctions between military and civilian applications for its entire history.

The fear of nuclear power and radiation has become significant in itself, changing the course of history. Nuclear power has been decisively shaped by political struggles and emotional arguments that even affected its technological development. Negative feelings about nuclear power contrast with the benign feelings towards wind and solar, so considerable resources and subsidies are devoted to them, in the hope these can make a meaningful impact to reduce emissions. A strong consensus supports wind and solar in contrast to the divisive debate around nuclear power.

In the end, nuclear power has been deeply affected by the fear of accidents and a lack of public understanding. These two factors have drawn-out the transition from the Oil Age to the Nuclear Age. There was no such difficulty transitioning into the Coal Age or into the Oil Age; these fuels were well-understood, and their use was seen as essential. The transition was accepted as a crucial necessity. It is time to overcome the general aversion to learning about this important energy source, and to understand this key technology. In an age of rising air pollution, it has never been more crucial.

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