Regensburg 2016 – scientific programme

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PV: Plenarvorträge

PV XVII

PV XVII: Evening Talk

Wednesday, March 9, 2016, 18:00–19:00, H1

Max-von-Laue-Lecture: Nuclear Energy: Practical Realities and Significant Challenges — •Allison Macfarlane — George Washington University, Washington, USA

Nuclear energy tends to be a polarizing subject: you are either for it or against it. Putting debates aside, in 2016, there are practical realities associated with nuclear power: many countries use it (even Germany, though it will be phased out), many seem to want to acquire it (even though it is a 60-year-old technology), and all that have or will have it must develop a responsible way of managing its wastes. In this post-Fukushima environment, can nuclear power continue to be used safely? Given the threats of terror attacks, can it be used securely? Can ``new entrants,'' countries that want to acquire nuclear power, do so safely? And can we develop a technically sound and politically acceptable solution to the waste problem? All of these areas must be addressed to ensure public health and safety.