Two Cheers For Nuclear Safety

With what's happening in Japan, it's natural to see renewed concern about the safety of nuclear power and I'm certainly glad we didn't vote for the candidate who dismissed the idea that nuclear energy ought to be safe. But I do think it's worth speaking up for a nuclear industry a bit. The question is safe compared to what? The Alaskan king crab fishery is very dangerous, but it's safer than a couple of other forms of fishing. And by the same token, it's hardly the case that coal mining or drilling for oil or risk-free alternatives.

That's all to say that while nuclear looks bad on safety grounds versus clean energy or efficiency, I don't see any particular reason to see these safety concerns as more pressing than concernes around the fossil fuels that provide the majority of our energy.