Year
1996
Abstract
To say that we live in a changing world has almost become a clicht+. It is certainly a different world from the one that the infant nuclear power industry faced over 40 years ago. It is a world which is growing in terms of population and energy demand, while at the same time shrinking in terms of communications and trade. There has been heightened awareness of environmental issues and the impact that our consumption of energy is having on the world’s climate and ecology. We have seen major crises in energy prices, caused by OPEC in the 70s and the Gulf War in the 80s. There has been a shift in public perception towards the nuclear industry from early enthusiasm to a generally more sceptical position brought about, to a large degree, by the accidents that have occurred, most notably the Windscale fire in 1957, Three Mile Island in 1977 and Chernobyl in 1986. And, of course, events in Iraq and North Korea have renewed concerns over nuclear proliferation.