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Atoms and Ashes: A Global History of Nuclear Disasters
Atoms and Ashes: A Global History of Nuclear Disasters | Serhii Plokhy
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A chilling account of more than half a century of nuclear catastrophes, by the author of the definitive (Economist) Cold War history, Nuclear Folly. Almost 145,000 Americans fled their homes in and around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in late March 1979, hoping to save themselves from an invisible enemy: radiation. The reactor at the nearby Three Mile Island nuclear power plant had gone into partial meltdown, and scientists feared an explosion that could spread radiation throughout the eastern United States. Thankfully, the explosion never took placebut the accident left deep scars in the American psyche, all but ending the nations love affair with nuclear power. In Atoms and Ashes, Serhii Plokhy recounts the dramatic history of Three Mile Island and five more accidents that that have dogged the nuclear industry in its military and civil incarnations: the disastrous fallout caused by the testing of the hydrogen bomb in the Bikini Atoll in 1954; the Kyshtym nuclear disaster in the USSR, which polluted a good part of the Urals; the Windscale fire, the worst nuclear accident in the UKs history; back to the USSR with Chernobyl, the result of a flawed reactor design leading to the exodus of 350,000 people; and, most recently, Fukushima in Japan, triggered by an earthquake and a tsunami, a disaster on a par with Chernobyl and whose clean-up will not take place in our lifetime. Through the stories of these six terrifying incidents, Plokhy explores the risks of nuclear power, both for military and peaceful purposes, while offering a vivid account of how individuals and governments make decisions under extraordinary circumstances. Today, there are 440 nuclear reactors operating throughout the world, with nuclear power providing 10 percent of global electricity. Yet as the world seeks to reduce carbon emissions to combat climate change, the question arises: Just how safe is nuclear energy?
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Pedrocamacho
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This is a history of six nuclear disasters. Three of them, Three-Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima, are very well known. The other three are not, which was great. This book serves as a wonderful summary of the causes and effects of these disasters.

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RamsFan1963
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75/150 Even the most ardent pro-nuclear energy supporter would have to think twice about the wisdom of nuclear power after reading this. While not as gut-wrenching as Midnight in Chernobyl, it's sad and terrifying to see what all these disasters have in common. Lies, cover-ups, stupid arrogant men who think they know how to tame the nuclear hellfire, and end up only making matters worse. Not fun reading but an important topic to think about.

RamsFan1963 4⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 1st book finished for #BigJuneReadathon @Clwojick 3y
paperwitchs Interesting 👀 3y
Clwojick Great choice for your first book! 4.5 stars is not a bad way to start the month. 🌼 3y
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