Expert Comment: Nuclear Energy, why we are all invested in its success or failure
The University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute is taking a revolutionary new approach to nuclear-related research by encouraging a lasting engagement between ‘traditional’ nuclear sciences and social science researchers.
Here, Professor Richard Taylor explains why this new interdisciplinary approach, in the form of The Beam Network, is long overdue in a sector that has been dominated by rigid regulation and research boundaries.
Nuclear Energy projects are, by their nature, ‘social’ endeavours. Why? Because any industry is a reflection of the society in which it resides.
The extent to which the industry can realise its aims and ambitions is undoubtedly linked to prevalent attitudes and cultures within its workforce or surrounding environment.
For many policymakers and energy experts, nuclear energy represents an environmentally responsible solution to the current energy and climate crisis. Plus, in the UK alone, financial commitments to new build and decommissioning are already forecast to exceed £100 billion with this number increasing all the time.
But, increasingly, fundamental policy decisions cannot be enacted without the support of all stakeholders both within and outside the sector. For example, in the UK, the successful implementation of a new nuclear build, or geological disposal facility (GDF) for nuclear waste, are both dependent on securing and maintaining public trust. This can sometimes be difficult as the general public and other influential stakeholders still have some deep misgivings or general antipathy towards the sector, meaning important debates remain unresolved.
For example, current trends towards the possible future deployment of smaller reactors alongside the relaunched search for a volunteer site for GDFs will inevitably lead to new communities being exposed to the nuclear debate.