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Article: Reducing proliferation risk: the coming expansion of nuclear power can be a security as well as an environmental blessing, but only if it comes without a great increase in the risk of the proliferation of nuclear weapons.(NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION)
- Article from:
- Issues in Science and Technology
- Article date:
- September 22, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 National Academy of Sciences. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The use of nuclear energy to produce electricity is expanding worldwide, and as it does the danger that nuclear weapons will also be developed is increasing as well. Historically, most of the nuclear power industry has been concentrated in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Today, however, many countries are planning reactors and making choices about their fuel supply that will determine the risk of weapons proliferation for the next generation. Although the countries that traditionally set the tune for nuclear power policies have waning influence on who goes nuclear, they may be able to affect how it is done and thus reduce the proliferation risk. The key is rethinking ...