Why are people opposed to nuclear power?

Safety concerns are the main factor of the public image of nuclear power. This is not only limited to its underdeveloped waste management system but also traumatic nuclear accidents in the past.

Nuclear waste can stay active for hundreds of thousands of years, and most of the waste is often temporarily stored in on-site pools for a few years to cool the fuel and limit radiation. However, in 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and a tsunami hit a nuclear plant in Fukushima, damaging the cooling system. Three reactors exploded, releasing radiation into the environment. Residents within a 20 km radius of the plant were forced to leave their homes. As of 2019, 52,000 residents remained displaced due to the radioactive residue that contaminated the area.

Until a reliable and resilient system emerges that can ensure the safety, nuclear energy is unlikely to dispel its negative image.