The discovery of how to utilize atomic energy is one of the most important that mankind have ever made. Attention has been mainly concentrated hitherto upon its importance in warfare, but it would be quite wrong to neglect its possible peaceful uses. It will very soon be supplying new sources of power that can be used especially in transport on land, on sea, and in the air. It has already proved itself very useful in medicine and it may in time cure nearly as many people as it will kill. ...
What is fairly certain is that in many directions it will replace coal and oil as a source of energy and will thereby make labour more productive. Source: Bertrand Russell: Human Society in Ethics and Politics, 1954, part II: The Conflict of Passions, chapter 6: Scientific Technique and the Future, n1
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There are mixed feelings of expectation and anxiety regarding atomic energy. During the time when Bertrand Russell was deeply engaged in the struggle against nuclear weapons, the threat of nuclear war was a very real concern. For this reason, he expressed the idea that "it may in time cure nearly as many people as it will kill." Today, nuclear war is less likely, but there remains a slight possibility that a superpower leader, facing the risk of losing power, might resort to using nuclear weapons under the pretext of "ending the war quickly."
However, in the modern era, the primary concern regarding atomic energy is not its use in warfare but rather the risk of major accidents at nuclear power plants, such as reactor explosions or large-scale radioactive contamination. Unlike vast countries such as the United States and the Soviet Union, Japan has limited land, making it impossible to locate nuclear power plants more than 50 km away from populated areas. In the event of a severe accident, widespread panic would be inevitable. Moreover, if a major accident were to occur at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, it could sever both the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Tomei Expressway, threatening to divide Japan’s transportation and logistics network between east and west.
In the distant future, such concerns may eventually disappear, but when will that be? Until then, it seems preferable to rely as much as possible on renewable energy. However, in all likelihood, criticism will be deflected through measures such as the promotion of small modular reactors (SMRs), and the use of nuclear energy is expected to increase once again.
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