Nuclear energy: societal and knowledge management aspects

Abstract

Multidisciplinary complexity and special characteristics of nuclear energy management lead to varied public perception of associated risks. Arguments on how nuclear power plants might contribute to sustainability or threaten it are discussed. Energy produced from nuclear power reactors may contribute to the economic development of the country they are built in by providing electricity with lower prices than that of most other types of energy production sources. However, the construction costs of nuclear power plants are very expensive and their building is usually subsidised by national governments. Moreover, radiation from nuclear power plants might be a potential threat to human health, the environment, and security. Nuclear waste and the uncertainties in best practices for the safe management of nuclear power plants are probably the most severe problems that future generations will have to face unless international cooperation for systematic sustainable solutions are found.