A Nuclear Waste Race: Perspectives on Reprocessing Spent Fuel Essay

â€Å"It isn’t easy being green† — Kermit the Frog. Even though Kermit was referring to the color of his skin, this is also vindictive of today’s mindset in thinking green trying to merge the environment into our everyday lives. Nuclear power first hit the scene as an alternative to burning fossil fuels and emissions of toxic carbons released into the atmosphere as waste products. But, the general public’s first glimpse of the awesomeness of nuclear energy was in the form of a highly effective and destructive weapon, therefore giving a distinct aura around the possibilities of nuclear development. Nuclear power had been operational and seemingly unscathed for almost fifty years, prior to the events that occurred in the late 1970’s. The vast political and social debates surrounding the alternative energy source arose from three major events in history. First was the release of the movie, â€Å"The China Syndrome.† This film is rendered as one of the most politically correct movies published about nuclear power. Movie critic Damien Cannon proposes, â€Å"How many films are so accurate that, even though they're fictional, they could easily be documentaries? Schindler's List is one. The China Syndrome is another. In this case we see the greatest fears of the Nimby culture unearthed when a nuclear power station almost goes out of control and the men-in-suits cover it up.† Secondly, only three weeks after the premier of â€Å"The China Syndrome†, the meltdown of the number two plant on Three Mile Island occurred. This spiked interest in the recently rele ased movie, and encouraged hysterical reactions to the progression of nuclear power. The American public had witnessed a recent unimaginable fear essentially come to life. Finally, the most notable and ... ...reat Illusion of Nuclear Energy.† Greenpeace.org. Greenpeace International Association. Nov 2008. Web. 26 July 2010. Lochbaum, David. A Nuclear Waste Disposal Crisis. Tulsa, Ok: Penwell Publishing. 1996. Print. â€Å"Nuclear Power: A Dangerous Waste of Time.† Greenpeace.org. Greenpeace International Association. 2009. Web. 25 July 2010. Pope, Carl. â€Å"The Empire Strikes Back.† Taking the Initiative. Sierra Club. 27 April 2007. Web. 27 July 2010. â€Å"The Wrong Nuclear Debate.† Taking the Initiative. Sierra Club. 26 February 2007. Web. 27 July 2010. â€Å"Radioactive Waste Management.† World-Nuclear.com. World Nuclear Association. June 2009. Web. 24 July 2010. Risoluti, Piero. Nuclear Waste: A Technological and Political Challenge. Eds. R. Allan, U. FÅ‘rstner and W. Salomons. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, Hong Kong, London, Milan, Paris, Tokyo: Springer. 2004. Print.