Originally published in 1987. The Chernobyl disaster intensified the whole debate on the nuclear power industry. There was great public concern about the industry regulation, about the siting of nuclear facilities, including the dumping of nuclear waste, and about the alleged secretiveness of the industry. This book examines these and many other important aspects of the industry worldwide and provides much important original research. It focuses in particular on the political processes which control the industry, on waste disposal and on the social impact.

In this global wake-up call, nuclear physicist Jeff Eerkens explores remedies for the impending energy crisis, when oil and natural gas are depleted. The Nuclear Imperative demonstrates that solar, wind, and biomass power are incapable of supplying the enormous quantities of electricity and heat needed for manufacturing portable synthetic fuels to replace our current use of fossil fuels. It offers a fresh look at uranium-produced energy as the optimal affordable solution.

The author presents a bit of history about nuclear power that began in 1954 when the U.S. Congress signed the Atomic Energy Act, a law that made the development of nuclear power possible by allowing basic information about atomic energy for civilian applications to be available in hopes it would building an industry that could provide a new source of electrical power. The author explores the initial political, business, construction, reactor safety, and environmental elements with the debates to build nuclear plants within the United States as a source of energy then leads into regulation of nuclear power. This scholarly text, coupled with some black and white illustrations, provides some insights to other nuclear plants that were build within the United States and some reactor faults prior to Three Mile Island's accident. Majority of this book centers around Three Mile Island's accident, evacuation of employees, causes, political crisis aftermath at State and Federal levels, NRC (US Nuclear Regulatory Commission) and business community response, and the growing public concerns are covered. Related products: Permissable Dose ISBN: 9780160949432 The Road to Yacca Mountain ISBN: 9780160949425 Other products produced by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) can be found here:https://bookstore.gpo.gov/agency/nuclear-regulatory-commission-nrc

Fission, Fusion and the Energy Crisis, Second Edition focuses on the importance of the breeder reactor to the efficient use of nuclear fuel reserves. This book examines the interrelationships of the scientific, technological, economic, and ecological aspects of nuclear power and considers the debate on the possible danger of a ""plutonium economy."" This monograph is comprised of 12 chapters and opens with a discussion on the energy requirements and available fuel supplies on a global scale, with emphasis on capital fuel reserves and renewable energy sources. An overview of the atom and its nucleus, mass, and energy is then presented. The following chapters explore the process of nuclear fission and how it can be used to produce a hydrogen bomb; natural uranium reactors and enriched reactors; the control and safety of nuclear reactors; and the short- and long-term economics of nuclear power stations. The nuclear power programs of some countries such as Canada, Britain, and the United States are also considered. Finally, the nuclear fusion process and attempts to control it for use in the production of heat and electricity are analyzed. This text is intended for nuclear scientists and undergraduate students.