What happened recently in Japan, and Chernobyl and Three MileIsland in the past, does it merit further explanation on the havoc nuclearenergy plays if leaked inadvertently. But all we see are vociferous debates theworld over – countless in number and rather hopeless in outcome.

For those largely unaware of the Chernobyl reactor damage, as many as 5 lakh workers had to be deputed to control the damage and were affected by radiation. The 30 km zone is still deserted – not a trace of humanity even after 25 long years. Even the capital city of Ukraine, 100 km away from the site, had 2 million affected people. Arecent magazine article reported that in financial terms, the tragedy cost 2.5%of the Soviet GDP and many attribute Chernobyl as the prime reason for theerstwhile USSR’s downfall.
The Japan tragedy is no less scary going by the way the leakage was revealed at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactors post the earthquake. Not by measuring the radioactivity inside, but through the radiation burns on the feet of hapless site workers. So finding out the leaking radioactive water is just like sending some poor soul to stick his toe in the water to see if it’s hot. Can anything be more horrendous thanthat?  And if the nuclear reactor sits on the ocean, as it does in Japan,imagine a contaminated water supply spelling doom.

There’s a joke that’s doing therounds these days – a joke that’s a harsh reality for the ill-fatedpeople struck by the tragedies –  That nuclear reactors are perfectly safe… so long as nothing goes wrong…..

Experts worldwide have always been recommending a diverse mix of existing renewable technologies to meet energy needs… clean, safe and renewable energy sources like wind, solar,advanced hydroelectric and certain types of biomass and geothermal energy. How(not whether) they can reliably generate as much energy as conventional fuels without emissions, destructive mining or waste should be the focal point ofdiscussion and research worldwide. Sure, other forms of energy also create waste, but isn’t that better than passing on radioactive waste to ourfuture generations. Unless our resolve is positive and focused on the alternatives, nuclear energy will continue to haunt us as a nightmare in the guise of a dream.
We owe it to ourselves and the generations to follow.