Naughty Nukes by Tom North

An article which appeared in the journal Risk Analysis, S. Wheatley (et al.), “Of Disasters and Dragon Kings: A Statistical Analysis of Nuclear Power Incidents and Accidents,” (The Australian, September, 20, 2016, p. 9), has argued that the risks of nuclear power are significantly underestimated because of an under-reporting of accidents. The criticisms were addressed to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is supposed to collect reports of nuclear accidents and rate them.
However, this organisation has no published database, so that this assessment cannot be checked.
The authors of the Risk Analysis paper also claimed that the methodology used in assessment downplays the severity of large events.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, which also has the role of promoting the use of nuclear energy, thus has a fundamental conflict of interest.
This downplaying of nuclear risks means that through complacency the risk of a Fukushima-magnitude accident is “more probable than not” in our lifetime. That could mean the end of human civilisation, if a runaway meltdown occurs which is not contained. Apparently that would not be good for business, and migrants are not attracted to post-apocalyptic radioactive wastelands for some reason.

 

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Thursday, 28 March 2024

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