USNRC, 1975. Reactor Safety Study: An Assessment of Accident Risks in US Commercial Nuclear Power Plants (Vol 88). United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC). Accessed 8 November 2020.
" }, "editorialNote": { "en": [ "source:UNDRR HIPS" ] }, "scopeNote": { "en": [ "Nuclear reactors are used to heat water to produce enormous amounts of low-carbon electricity and can be powered by a variety of different fuels. The fissioning of atoms in the chain reaction releases a large amount of energy as heat. The generated heat is removed from the reactor by a circulating fluid, typically water. This heat is then used to generate steam which drives turbines for electricity production (World Nuclear Association, 2020). Electricity is essential for modern life, however, almost one billion people live without access to electricity. Global challenges such as climate change, pollution and environmental degradation require nations to generate electricity renewably (World Nuclear Association, no date). During the 20th century, the main energy sources for generating electricity were fossil fuels, hydroelectricity and since the 1950s, nuclear energy. Despite the growth and demand for renewable energy, fossil fuels remain the dominant source globally. Nuclear power is an environmentally friendly form of electricity generation. Although proponents of nuclear energy claim this is a renewable and safe form of energy, when nuclear plant failures do occur, they can have significant human, environmental, and socio-economic impacts (World Nuclear Association, no date). In 2018, nuclear power generated 10.5% of the world’s electricity (World Nuclear Association, 2020). Nuclear reactors are a reliable source of energy and are capable of running for 24 hours a day for many months and possibly up to years without interruption, providing large amounts of clean electricity. Most nuclear reactors can operate for many years, over 60 years in some cases (World Nuclear Association, 2020). Reactors derived from designs originally developed for propelling submarines and large naval ships generate about 85% of the world’s nuclear electricity. The most common power reactor types use water, with more than 90% of the world’s reactors being water-based (World Nuclear Association, no date). The nuclear plant failures in Chernobyl and Fukushima are notable examples of major disasters. Chernobyl, Ukraine (former Soviet Union) 1986: Chernobyl, is considered the world’s worst nuclear disaster to date. A sudden power surge resulted in explosions and nearly complete destruction of the reactor. Fires broke out in the building which contributed to the extensive radioactive releases. The initial steam explosion and fire killed two people with a further 28 dying from radiation poising within three months. Massive amounts of radiation spread across the Soviet Union and Europe, and displaced 220,000 people as well as contributing to significant health, environmental and socio-economic impacts (WHO, 2016; World Nuclear Association, 2019). Fukushima, Japan 2011: The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on 11 March 2011, destroyed four reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant due to the loss of cooling as a result of the tsunami. 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