Is nuclear energy safe?

Encyclopedia of Opinion

Question: Is nuclear energy safe?
Position1 of 2›: Nuclear energy is not safe

This position holds that nuclear energy is not safe. It argues that the potential for catastrophe — meltdowns that can never be completely ruled out — is by itself enough to deem it unsafe, and that there remains no genuinely safe long-term way to store radioactive nuclear waste.

Supporting arguments · 2

There are currently no safe options for storing nuclear waste
When nuclear fuel is no longer usable, it is referred to as nuclear waste. This waste is still highly radioactive and dangerous for tens of thousands of years. Nuclear reactors are constantly generating this waste without long-term disposal solutions.
Nuclear meltdowns can never be completely eliminated
Nuclear meltdowns are always a possibility. Though we have been able to mitigate them when they have occurred in the past, there is no guarantee we can mitigate them when they occur in the future.