An advertisement about nuclear energy in an American scientific magazine runs like this “cleaner and greener”, referring to the energy obtained from nuclear power plants. “Our 103 nuclear power plants don’t burn anything, so they don’t produce greenhouse gases.” The Nuclear institutes try to tell the world that nuclear energy is a more environment-friendly and a cheap choice than electricity produced from coal or oil and which is far less carbon dioxide producing, saving us, so they say, from global warming problems. But truth is stranger than fiction, as a clear calculation and estimation of facts and figures tell a different story. The true cost of nuclear energy (the energy needed to make energy) is yet to be entirely tallied.
One of the greatest threats which pose for every life on the planet is the radiation and radioactivity which are released continuously into the air and water from the fuel process for nuclear energy, without which they cannot operate. And threateningly, worst of all is that radiation can also be accidentally released.
When a nuclear power plant is on the go with its operation, minimal values should be considered. It is important to protect the health of the plant employees and at the same time bear in mind, the social responsibility, maintain the safety of the nuclear materials involved, and overall and beyond anything protect the entire environment, globally. The nuclear organizations involved should take special care for safe and conservative decision-making, placing safety before commercial gain. One should take personal responsibility for one’s and the others’ safety. It should be ensured that any decision-making should be considered firstly, above everything, the safety, and environmental risks. Honesty between the other organizations is also a very significant factor.
The ethics concerned for the nuclear power plant itself should consist of quality management and a safety culture system. Human performance must be evaluated at all times. There should be feedback and a corrective action system in every step involved.
It is vitally important that a worldwide conference should be held for evaluating every new upcoming plant, involving all the individuals concerned – scientists, politicians, plant owners, economists, environmentalists, religious and social workers.