Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Although the nuclear reactor crisis in Japan will likely launch a debate about safety, there are stark differences between Japan and the United States in the environmental scenarios that must be considered when designing U.S. nuclear reactors.
If nuclear plants damaged in Japan's recent earthquake cannot be cooled and their cores begin to melt, it could potentially cause one of the most serious nuclear accidents in history.
Japanese engineers are attempting to find ways to cool the nuclear reactor core at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi reactors, in order to prevent a nuclear meltdown.
While passive safety features ensured that Japan's Fukushima reactors automatically shut off after the earthquake struck, the core remains hot even after the nuclear chain reaction ceases. If the core cannot be cooled, there could be potentially dangerous repercussions.
Although Japan's nuclear reactors in Fukushima have shut down, the fuel rods remain hot. If the coolant system does not function properly, the fuel rods could overheat, posing a real danger.
Although Japan's Fukushima reactors have been shut down, their fuel rods still need to cool down, so that the remaining water meant to cool the core does not boil and expose the radioactive rods.
There are growing concerns that China and the United States are on a collision course over Chinese plans to build two nuclear reactors in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
The probability of nuclear terrorism may not be high, but the Nuclear Security Summit raises the awareness of states with nuclear materials and encourages real commitments toward preventing a nuclear terrorist attack.
Nuclear smugglers acquire nuclear material and technology piece by piece through clandestine networks. They are potentially very dangerous people who are aggressive in looking for innovative ways to illegally transfer nuclear material and dual-use items.
Behind the scenes at the G-8 summit, U.S. and Indian officials appear to be moving forward on an agreement that would lift the U.S. ban on nuclear trade with India and allow it to assist India’s civilian nuclear program. Ashley Tellis discusses the details of the deal on NPR’s Morning Edition and notes that it is unlikely to make India a closer U.S. ally.