关于nuclear的新闻

Nuclear energy in crisis?
The nuclear crisis in Japan has developed rapidly on many fronts, making it follow the threads. Fears about nuclear safety which took a⎢difficult to generation to overcome have been resurfacing.
World reaction was swift.
The shares of Canadian uranium producers took a hit. Switzerland froze plans to build new nuclear plants. Germany raised questions about its nuclear future. And opposition to atomic reactor construction mounted, from Turkey to South Africa.
Interest in nuclear power has grown in recent years amid worries over rising oil prices and global warming. Before the boom in nuclear power, disasters at Chornobyl, Ukraine, and Three Mile Island in the US sparked fears for years.
“The nuclear renaissance is over,” Tom Ad ams, an independent energy consultant based in Toronto, told CBC News.
Supporters of nuclear power say its public safety risks are no greater than those for fossil fuels. Three Mile Island and Chernobyl were the only major accidents in what has amounted to 14,000 years of commercial operation of nuclear reactors in 32 countries over five decades, the World Nuclear Association said.
Nuclear engineers believed that with enough capability built into warded off.⎢plant safety systems, risks such as natural disasters can be
Supporters also say that nuclear power produces nearly no conventional air pollution, qualifying it as “clean energy”.
But opponents worry about the complexity of design and engineering of nuclear plants.
Any failure or operation error could lead to severe consequences, they say.
Radioactive substances, if allowed into the atmosphere, pose a direct radiation hazard, can pollute soil and plants, and be eaten by humans and animals. The transportation and storage of spent fuel also poses safety risks because it is still highly radioactive with harmful environmental potential.
Despite people’s fears many countries, including the US and China, have stated their determination to develop nuclear energy. According to China Daily, China, the wo rld’s second largest energy consumer behind US, plans to boost nuclear power.
What are our alternative energy choices?
For decades, human beings have been determined to find an alternative energy source to solve the shortage of coal and natural gas. Scientists have found ways to produce electricity from sunshine, wind and garbage.
But these alternative energy sources are neither stable nor efficient. Despite its negative image, nuclear energy may be the most efficient and realistic means of meeting the rapidly-growing demand for power.
However, radioactive fuel is made from uranium, a chemical element which may all be used up some day (though this isn’t why people are against nuclear power).
Some suggest that nuclear plants are still a halfway house before scientists discover an alternative energy source.
What does the future hold? Some scientists are looking at hydrogen, a clean and virtually endless resource. It is one of two elements which combine to make water. But the technology is in its infancy.
Other experts say the issue of which energy option (or alternative) is “best” depends on the local environmental, social, political, and economic background.
When it comes to energy generation, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Like the saying g oes: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
BONUS
follow the thread 跟上线索, 追踪
The department store will send you regular news bulletins to let you follow the thread of the latest fashion trends.
百货公司会定期给你发新闻资讯，让你紧跟时尚潮流。

ward off 避开, 挡住
You can ward off cold by eating plenty of fruit.
多吃水果可以预防感冒。

英语词汇解析
六级词汇
radioactive 放射性的
renaissance 复兴
托福词汇
fossil 化石
resurface 重新露面
uranium 铀。