The Doomsday Machine
The High Price of Nuclear Energy, the World's Most Dangerous Fuel

Proponents claim that nuclear power is the only viable alternative to fossil fuels; however, in the wake of the meltdown at Japan's Fukushima power plant, the future of nuclear energy is again uncertain. Here, Andrew McKillop and Martin Cohen argue that the nuclear power dream is pure fantasy, and that its costs are simply too high.

Today, there are over 400 nuclear reactors in 31 countries, including France, Brazil, India, the UK, and Canada. Proponents claim that nuclear power is the only viable alternative to fossil fuels given rising energy consumption and the looming threat of global warming, and are pushing for an even greater investment. Here, energy economist Andrew McKillop and social scientist Martin Cohen argue that the nuclear power dream being sold to us is pure fantasy. Debunking the multi-layered myth that nuclear energy is cheap, clean and safe, they demonstrate how landscapes are ravaged in search of the elusive yellow cake to fuel the reactors, and how energy companies and politicians rarely discuss the true costs of nuclear power plants - from the subsidies that build the infrastructure to the unspoken guarantee that the public will pick up the cleanup cost in the event of a meltdown, which can easily top a hundred billion dollars. In the wake of the meltdown at Japan's Fukushima power plant, the future of nuclear energy is again uncertain; this is a timely and hard-hitting look at why its costs are simply too high for humanity.

Introduction Myth 1: Nuclear Energy is the Energy of the Future Myth 2: Nuclear Power is Green Myth 3: Nuclear Reactors are Reliable and Safe Myth 4: Nuclear Energy is Cheap - Too Cheap to Meter Myth 5: Nuclear Energy Avoids Geopolitics
Myth 6: Nuclear Energy is Very Clean Myth 7: Nuclear Radiation is Harmless
Myth 8: Everyone is Looking to Invest in Nuclear Energy