September 29th, 2011

Reflections on Charles Perrow's 1984 classic

As Japan attempts to move on from the Fukushima nuclear crisis, a scholar of risk and risk perception reflects on Charles Perrow's classic book about why complex technologies fail, and raises the key question that Scott Sagan asked in his 1993 book, The Limits of Safety: "Are normal accidents inevitable?" Read more »

June 14th, 2011

Thomas Isaacs: Is nuclear the fuel of the 21st century, or a relic of the past?

The 8.9 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011 set in motion one of the largest nuclear disasters in almost three decades. It also renewed the debate over the future of nuclear energy in the U.S. and abroad. With 104 nuclear power plants across the country, generating about 20 percent of America's energy, there is no doubt that we are currently dependent on nuclear energy, yet the debate over this highly contentious technology is far from resolved. At the World Affairs Council of Northern California, Thomas Isaacs discussed what this disaster means for the future of U.S. energy. Read more »

May 13th, 2011

Rodney Ewing: Why are rare events so common?

"More than a month has passed since the one-two punch of an earthquake and tsunami added a third dimension to the tragedy in Japan: a major nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station," writes CISAC's Rodney Ewing in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. "Over the next year, the impact of the Fukushima disaster on the public's perception of nuclear power will evolve, with advocates portraying the event as an opportunity to make an indispensable source of energy safer, and critics characterizing it as a final indictment of the dangers of nuclear energy. As this debate develops, the public would be well served by answers to a few simple but critical questions." Read more »

April 14th, 2011

Symposium about the March 2011 Tohoku, Japan, Earthquake

Please join us on April 25 and 26 for an examination of the March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan, and the subsequent tsunami and nuclear accident. In panel discussions, experts from the School of Earth Sciences and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies will focus on what happened, the impacts of the events, and what the future holds for Japan and other earthquake- and tsunami-zone regions of the world.

• » The Great Tohoku, Japan Disaster - Symposium I
• » The Great Tohoku, Japan Disaster - Symposium II

March 22nd, 2011

CISAC researchers: How the failing reactors could change Japan and the industry

As events unfold at Japan's troubled nuclear power plants, CISAC researchers past and present discuss the future of nuclear energy, regulation, and what could happen next.

• » Edward Blandford: Nuclear energy and the true cost of electricity
• » Alan Hanson: Preventing the worst
• » Thomas Isaacs: The future of nuclear
• » Gaurav Kampani: How India will respond
• » Kate Marvel: Game changers in nuclear energy
• » Charles Perrow: Safety improvements are needed now
• » Charles Perrow: Experts ignored the risks
• » Robert Rosner: What is the future of nuclear power?
• » Hanson, Marvel, and Daniel Okimoto: What's next for Japan
• » Crisis in Japan (slides and video)

March 16th, 2011

Alan Hanson: Preventing the worst

CISAC's Alan Hanson discusses the range of scenarios and how to prevent catastrophe. Read more »

Thomas Isaacs: The future of nuclear

As Japan's troubles continue, CISAC's Thomas Isaacs discusses the future of the nuclear industry. Read more »