Summary Of Eugene Robinson's No Fail-Safe Option

Eugene Robinson, author of “No Fail-Safe Option”, writes during the recent destruction of the Fukushima power plant, cautioning the use of nuclear power, and touching on the Chernobyl incident. He claims that the idea of nuclear energy, in spite of its benefits, is not worth the destruction and damage it could potentially cause. Robinson illustrates his point by identifying the problem behind the Fukushima plant in Japan. He states that the Earth will do what it ultimately decides, whether that results in an earthquake or tsunami, in which he explains, both caused the plants demise. Robinson argues that because even well-respected scientists of Japan can’t predict disasters such as these, safety cannot be guaranteed. He emphasizes that even
against benefits such as decreased oil and global warming, nuclear energy is not worth the risk.
Robinson continues by reminiscing on the tragedy of the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine. He argues that Chernobyl scientists tried their best, but failed to operate the plant at maximum safety. Immediately after, he factually explains how their reactors exploded, causing miles of radioactivity and destruction, still present years later. He concludes by pointing out that with natural disasters, human and technological error, nuclear power plants cannot be maintained safely. Furthermore, he explicitly argues how scientists have such little margin of error to work with, that it’s not logical to run a power plant. Robinson, in short, reasons and warns against utilizing nuclear power because disasters, such as Fukushima and Chernobyl, can happen anywhere, to anyone, and the risks are too immense for comprehension.