Sigma Xi Public Talk
Fukushima and the Future of Nuclear Energy
Presented by M. V. Ramana, University of British Columbia, Canada
Like the earlier nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island (1979) and Chernobyl (1986), the multiple accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011 have had an impact on the future deployment of nuclear power. This talk will describe the current status of nuclear energy in different countries around the world and the evolution of its contribution to global electricity generation. It will then go on to outlining the various factors that will shape the future of nuclear energy, including the impacts of Fukushima, the costs of nuclear reactor construction, trends in renewable energy and other alternatives, social and technical challenges associated with nuclear energy such as radioactive waste disposal and the linkage to nuclear weapons, the imperative to mitigate climate change, and some of the other interests propelling continued investment in nuclear energy.
5:00 pm, Thursday, April 19, 2018
Room C, UNM Conference Center
Northeast corner of Indian School and University
Individuals with disabilities who need an auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in P&A events should contact the Physics Department (phone: 505-277-2616, email: physics@unm.edu) well in advance to ensure your needs are accomodated. Event handouts can be provided in alternative accessible formats upon request. Please contact the Physics front office if you need written information in an alternative format.
A schedule of talks within the Department of Physics and Astronomy is available on the P&A web site at http://physics.unm.edu/pandaweb/events/index.php