Global energy demand is likely to rise substantially by the mid-21st century. At
the same time, the use of fossil fuels may need to be severely curtailed to
reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Nuclear power is one of the few options
that meet these conflicting requirements. However, its potential to do so is an
issue of wide disagreement and high emotions, with balanced information hard to
find. This text, the culmination of a two-year study, provides a dispassionate
and objective assessment of the major disputes on the future role of this
controversial fuel. Decisionmakers and their advisers, as well as proponents and
opponents of the fuel,