Dirty secrets of nuclear power in an era of climate change / Doug Brugge, Aaron Datesman

Chapter 1: Climate Change: Melting Ice and Statistical Models.--Summary Points.—References.--Chapter 2: The Dirty, Working-Class Problem.--Summary Points.—References.--Chapter 3: Nuclear Waste.--Summary Points.—References.--Chapter 4: Nuclear Proliferation.--Summary Points.—References.--Chapter 5: Societal Burdens Imposed by Nuclear Accidents.--The Canadian Meltdown.--All Technologies Are Accident-Plagued.--Common Threads.--Chernobyl and Fukushima.--An Impossible Battle Against Dust Central Pennsylvania, 1979.--Summary Points.—References.--Chapter 6: Three Mile Island: An Unresolved Paradox.--Summary Points.—References.--Chapter 7: Protracted Exposures May Be Misunderstood.--The Postal Analogy.--Challenging the Linear Model.--Experimental Evidence for the Hypothesis of Shot Noise in Radiobiological Systems.--Background Radiation May Not Be Properly Understood.--Environmental Releases from Operating Nuclear Power Stations.--Summary Points
References.--Chapter 8: New Nuclear Power: Expensive, Slow, and Inferior.--The Initial Adoption of Nuclear Power The Domestic Nuclear Renaissance.--The Vanishing Nuclear Renaissance in Historical Context.--Construction Cost and Duration.--Levelized Cost of Energy.--The Immediate Opportunity Cost of Plant Vogtle.--The Current Situation.--The Future is Offshore.--The Long-Term Opportunity Cost
Summary Points.—References.—Afterword.—Index.

This open access book provides a review of the serious limitations and drawbacks to nuclear power, and clearly conveys why nuclear power is a less than desirable option in terms of addressing climate change. It uses accessible and engaging language to help bring an understanding of the issues with nuclear power to a broader sector of the public, with the intention of appealing to non-scientists seeking knowledge on the disadvantages of nuclear power as a solution for climate change. The argument is made that while superficially appealing, nuclear power is too costly, fragile, and slow to implement, compared to alternative options such as wind and solar.