Nuclear is probably the safest form of power when proper protocols are put in place but it's hard to do that when the largest country in Europe (Russia, both by size and population) is currently in a war

• Fukushima
• Chernobyl
• 3-Mile Island to name a few

3 Mile Island occurred while "The China Syndrome" was in theaters.

That's mostly it. A hit-job sensationalist film came out right before a minor incident that resulted in ZERO injuries, damage to the environment, or loss of containment, but was major news largely because of the film.

Because of Godzilla is my best guess. CGI is so good these days people think it’s real.

Fukushima and Chernobyl kinda stick out. Nuclear is safe until something goes catastrophically wrong. When that happens it's 100s and 1000s of years before you can move back in and have a stable genome.

it's not about the power but about the waste. no one wants that in their backyard.

Nuclear power is a bit like aviation. Statistically, traveling by airliner is the safest way to travel; it's been over a decade since the last fatal crash of an American-registered airliner. But when a plane does crash, SHEEW BUDDY does it make the evening news.

Nuclear power has that same effect. Statistically, nuclear power has a fucking amazing safety record. Very, very few people are hurt or killed in the nuclear power industry, especially compared to the fossil fuel industry, and the second hand smoke factor is non-existent as long as the plant is operating correctly. But as soon as it does go wrong, SHEEW BUDDY does it make the evening news. And it has gone wrong, multiple times, in spectacular fashion.

A major concern I have about building new nuclear power plants is my government is trying as hard as it can to steer into the hard right anti-science anti-regulation of industry space, and successful, safe operation of nuclear power plants requires strong understanding of science and heavy government oversight. The fact that we have no plan whatsoever for the nuclear waste we're already generating, and that no serious solution is on the horizon indicates to me that we are already not in a place where we should be doing this.

There's also the concern that nuclear power programs are often related to manufacturing fuel for nuclear weapons. That that's what the megalomaniacal assholes that are somehow "in charge" actually want nuclear power plants for, and megawatts of electricity to run civilization with is a cute bonus I guess.

I agree that it shouldn't be a matter of being for or against nuclear.

The best mix of renewable energy supply of any country is going to be very context dependent. Geothermal, hydro, solar, wind all perform best when they're used in the right location. Nuclear energy is much more expensive per Megawatthour than renewable energy sources, but it's highly predictable.

In addition to the high cost, the construction time of a nuclear power plant tends to be somewhere between 10-20 years. Therefore, it makes sense to find solutions first in grid balancing solutions like mega batteries (for balancing, not long term storage), smart EV chargers, and matching demand better with supply through variable pricing. These are all relatively affordable solutions that would reduce the need for a predictable energy supply like nuclear.

But, if the measures above are not enough or if there are concerns about the feasibility of such measures in a particular context, then analyses might point towards nuclear as a solution as the most cost effective solution.

It's pointless to make nuclear power a polical issue while we're rapidly approaching an irreversible climate crisis. We don't have the luxury to act based on preferences. Policymakers shouldn't view nuclear power as a taboo, but also shouldn't opt to construct one simply to attract voters.

Back then, it was scared of what you don't understand. Nuclear was bombs and radiation, bad stuff right. Then it was Chernobyl. And having talked with some of them online, they are scared that it's not 10,000% safe.

now trying to blame Ukraine

Blaming Russia was either stupid b/c putting the Nord Stream out of commission hurt Russia, or cynical b/c they thought we'd be stupid enough to buy that story. Blaming Ukraine has a basis in reality. https://www.reuters.com/world/us-had-intelligence-ukrainian-plan-attack-nord-stream-pipeline-washington-post-2023-06-06/ We may well have done it, as Biden promised, in concert with Ukraine or without them. https://www.wsj.com/video/video-biden-says-no-nord-stream-2-if-russia-invades-ukraine/B5942F2D-E4E5-4BD1-8CB3-8816A2ECAF19.html