"the problem is this, nuclear power is being put up to a far higher standard than any other power source because of irrational fears"
That's probably correct. The question is, why? Perhaps it's because it is so much more difficult to understand. When a dam breaks or when parts of an oil refinery explode, the result may be catastrophic but at least we can understand what is happening, on an intuitive level. When something goes wrong with a nuclear reactor, it is so far removed from anything in our everyday world that it's difficult to understand on that same intuitive level. If something is on fire then we can see and hear it and we can use our experiences of other things being on fire to understand it. If something is radioactive then neither of the above apply.
So perhaps there is something about nuclear that makes it uniquely frightening (even if those fears are irrational). Unless everyone studies nuclear physics, those fears aren't likely to go away any time soon.
The basic reason is unfamiliarity. Unfamiliarity breeds fear and fear breeds irrationality.
Is it worse to die of radiation poisoning than, say, in an automobile fire? Both can be horrific ways to die, but most people today are likely to be more afraid of the former.
Comments
"the problem is this, nuclear power is being put up to a far higher standard than any other power source because of irrational fears"
That's probably correct. The question is, why? Perhaps it's because it is so much more difficult to understand. When a dam breaks or when parts of an oil refinery explode, the result may be catastrophic but at least we can understand what is happening, on an intuitive level. When something goes wrong with a nuclear reactor, it is so far removed from anything in our everyday world that it's difficult to understand on that same intuitive level. If something is on fire then we can see and hear it and we can use our experiences of other things being on fire to understand it. If something is radioactive then neither of the above apply.
So perhaps there is something about nuclear that makes it uniquely frightening (even if those fears are irrational). Unless everyone studies nuclear physics, those fears aren't likely to go away any time soon.
The basic reason is unfamiliarity. Unfamiliarity breeds fear and fear breeds irrationality.
Is it worse to die of radiation poisoning than, say, in an automobile fire? Both can be horrific ways to die, but most people today are likely to be more afraid of the former.