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Asks whether nuclear power is viable as a clean source of energy and an independent energy source and whether it should be used to attain targeted reductions in fossil fuels or as a method of electricity generation. Also considers whether nuclear energy should be used in preference to energy from a third country. Discusses problems such as technological safety, nuclear waste, costs and the individual energy policies of Member States. Cites the main issue as public perception as the subject is regarded as dangerous and secretive. Outlines how the debate in Europe is being re‐evaluated and with the evolution of new science and technology, the positive contribution of nuclear energy to sustainable development is a factor to be weighed in the balance.

The international nuclear community continues to face the challenge of managing both the legacy waste and the new wastes that emerge from ongoing energy production. The UK is in the early stages of proposing a new convention for its nuclear industry, that is: waste minimisation through closely managing the radioactive source which creates the waste. This paper proposes a new technique (called waste and source material operability study (WASOP)) to qualitatively analyse a complex, waste‐producing system to minimise avoidable waste and thus increase the protection to the public and the environment.

WASOP critically considers the systemic impact of up and downstream facilities on the minimisation of nuclear waste in a facility. Based on the principles of HAZOP, the technique structures managers' thinking on the impact of mal‐operations in interlinking facilities in order to identify preventative actions to reduce the impact on waste production of those mal‐operations.'

WASOP was tested with a small group of experienced nuclear regulators and was found to support their qualitative examination of waste minimisation and help them to work towards developing a plan of action.

Given the newness of this convention, the wider methodology in which WASOP sits is still in development. However, this paper communicates the latest thinking from nuclear regulators on decision‐making methodology for supporting waste minimisation and is hoped to form part of future regulatory guidance. WASOP is believed to have widespread potential application to the minimisation of many other forms of waste, including that from other energy sectors and household/general waste.

The national governments of the European Union (EU) are finding it increasingly difficult to provide their populations with cheap and reliable sources of electricity. There is a highly controversial technology available within the EU which could overcome this problem – nuclear generated electricity. The purpose of this article is to question the extent to which it is possible to reconcile the views of those citizens who object to the use of nuclear electricity with views of those who support the use of nuclear electricity as a competitive, sustainable and secure electricity supply within an open and competitive European energy market.

This article adopts an inter‐disciplinary approach to the analysis of the issues.

Political, economic and environmental pressures are combining to constrain the opportunities for national governments to enable citizens’ preferences with regard to the nuclear sector to be maintained. What is argued in the article is that all the tools which are available to the EU to overcome any lack of democratic decision making in the nuclear sector must be utilised to their full potential, including the legal framework provided by the often overlooked EURATOM Treaty.

The research will be of value to academic lawyers and political scientists investigating the problematic relationships which exist between the national and supranational levels of governance in the EU.

Argues that there is no guarantee that it will be possible to maintain the present situation, with regard to energy, in an enlarged EU. Indeed, the enlargement has heightened concerns that the current approach may be undermined. Deplores the absence of a clear safety framework for EU nuclear installations and further details the problems, in full, in the article.

Two analytical solutions of thermal problems connected with the disposal of nuclear waste are presented. Non‐linear diffusion problems are analysed. The use of the Kirchhoff transformation and the transformation of coordinates are made along with a numerical solution. Also comparison is made for the exact and numerical solutions for temperature histories at a nuclear waste site. A time dependent heat source is considered.

The article aims to explore the potential for pebble‐bed high‐temperature gas reactor (HTGR) technology to meet possible future energy shortages.

The historical evolution of nuclear power is reviewed followed by empirical data that demonstrate the finite nature of oil and gas reserves. The characteristics of HTGR technology are then explored.

A pebble‐bed HTGR ameliorates nuclear waste disposal issues, does not disgorge large quantities of excess heat, is terrorist‐resistant, solves persistent problems concerning weapon proliferation, and is inherently safe.

The article makes the case for the US Department of Energy to take the lead in demonstrating a pebble‐bed HTGR plant to overcome industry reluctance to invest in this technology.

This paper aims to estimate willingness to accept (WTA) hypothetical nuclear energy projects and the impact of net perceived benefits across three countries: Italy, a country without nuclear plants in operation; the UK, a country with nuclear plants in operation and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has more recently opted for the inclusion of nuclear energy in its energy mix. These valuations can support cost-benefit analyses by allowing policymakers to account for additional benefits and costs which would be otherwise neglected.

Data collection was conducted through online nationwide surveys, for a total of over 4,000 individuals sampled from Italy, the UK and the UAE. The surveys included choice experiments designed to elicit preferences towards nuclear energy in the form of WTA, indicating estimated compensations for welfare worsening changes and questions to measure perceived risks and benefits.

The average WTA/Km is the lowest for the case of the UAE. What is more, perceived net positive benefits tend to decrease the WTA required by the UAE respondents? Moreover, across the cases, albeit to a lesser extent with regard to Italy’s case, there is evidence that a more positive benefit perception seems to increase the valuation of environmental and public benefits offered as part of the experiment.

The contribution of this study is primarily twofold: first, it provides a comparison of WTA values in a context where the availability of choice experiment data is scant; second, it assesses whether and to what extent perceived net positive benefits of nuclear energy impact WTA of nuclear energy projects.

The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to an indigenous community that lives in the periphery of Taiwan. The Dao on Orchid Island have had to face serious abuse of their human rights in terms of ecological exploitation and environmental injustice. The article highlights the empowerment of the indigenous group through collective learning. In this process the importance of being represented at both local and international levels is emphasized. Despite the democratization and implemented mechanism to protect indigenous peoples' rights and dignity, the issue of self‐determination and dependency on financial compensation still remains unsolved.

Data are collected and elaborated primarily using recognized research methods that are common in social anthropology (Bernard). Field research was conducted in 2007, 2008, and 2011 in Taiwan. A variety of interviews and formal and informal conversations formed the basis of data collection. According to qualitative content analysis, concepts and procedures developed by Gläser and Laudel, Bernard, as well as Schmidt were applied.

The outcomes of the research highlight the need to investigate the dynamic between modern technologies and the fight of vulnerable minorities in multicultural and democratic countries. Collective learning, solidarity, and presence at national and international levels are essential to improve empowerment to gain justice and respect of human rights.

The indigenous Dao were excluded from decision making processes regarding the government's appropriation of land on Orchid Island to be used to store nuclear waste. The Dao gained power due to educational technologies within a local and global network. Although Taiwan promotes its cultural diversity nowadays, social and environmental justice is still a goal to reach.

The paper provides valuable insights of an indigenous community in Taiwan and their struggles against environmental injustice and exploitation. Due to the fieldwork, a unique and authentic picture of the indigenous peoples' situation is offered.

Nuclear waste tanks need to be cut into pieces before they can be safely disposed of, but the cutting process produces a large amount of aerosols with radiation, which is very harmful to the health of the operator. The purpose of this paper is to establish an intelligent strategy for an integrated robot designed for measurement and cutting, which can accurately identify and cut unknown nuclear waste tanks and realize autonomous precise processing.

A robot system integrating point cloud measurement and plasma cutting is designed in this paper. First, accurate calibration methods for the robot, tool and hand-eye system are established. Second, for eliminating the extremely scattered point cloud caused by metal surface refraction, an omnidirectional octree data structure with 26 vectors is proposed to extract the point cloud model more accurately. Then, a minimum bounding box is calculated for limiting the local area to be cut, the local three-dimensional shape of the nuclear tank is fitted within the bounding box, in which the cutting trajectories and normal vectors are planned accurately.

The cutting precision is verified by changing the tool into a dial indicator in the simulation and the experiment process. The octree data structure with omnidirectional pointing vectors can effectively improve the filtering accuracy of the scattered point cloud. The point cloud filter algorithm combined with the structure calibration methods for the integrated measurement and processing system can ensure the final machining accuracy of the robot.

Aiming at the problems of large measurement noise interference, complex transformations between coordinate systems and difficult accuracy guarantee, this paper proposes structure calibration, point cloud filtering and point cloud-based planning algorithm, which can greatly improve the reliability and accuracy of the system. Simulation and experiment verify the final cutting accuracy of the whole system.

To clarify uncertainty in predictions of the quantity, radionuclide inventory and activity of waste from the Krsko nuclear power plant, and to illuminate its role in related policy‐making, we made a scenario analysis in order to find out the variation in waste characteristics if the plant operates five years shorter or longer than anticipated, or if it uses fuel of a higher enrichment (levels between 3 per cent and 5 per cent of U‐235). We used ORIGEN2 computer code for calculations connected to spent fuel, and developed a code for calculating low‐ and intermediate‐level waste. We present and interpret our results using language which can be understood by decision makers and the general public. We believe that the clarification of the issues gained through our analysis will contribute to more informed decision making and be effective in building confidence among professionals, the public and politicians in the process of identifying the most appropriate waste management options.