Radiation is Freightening

The possible proliferation of nuclear weapons is not really related to the fission nuclear power plants, except as a red herring employed by the fear mongering crowd. The same is true of the potential nuclear fallout from the detonation of nuclear weapons or "accidents" at fission nuclear power plants. The lack of danger from nuclear fallout has been demonstrated by the many above ground weapons tests half a century ago and the worst case scenario at a nuclear power plant already happened at Chernobyl - lots of very nasty fallout from inside the core of a running reactor spread of Europe, yet no related increase of cancers in 3 decades. It turns out that exposure to low level ionizing radiation is not a significant cause of cancer. We have learned that almost everything can contribute to causing cancer, but it requires several events.

The prolific estimates of thousands or more of cancer deaths have been proven false.

Radiation is scary because we know enough about it to know that some radiation is dangerous. For most of us, we first learn about radiation with the story of Madam Curie's discoveries and subsequent early demise. Her work was so dangerous because she was making discoveries. No one knew the danger. But, thanks to her and the many researchers that followed her, those same experiments and observations can be done safely. We now know how to prevent the damage. Some radiation is dangerous but with knowledge and respect we can (and do) work with radiation sources safely.