The 1986 explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the Ukraine is the worst nuclear accident on record. The explosion resulted in the immediate deaths of thirty-one people, and experts project that over 3,400 local residents will eventually die of cancer due to their exposure to radiation. At the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, radioactive gas was released from the plant in March 1979. Although no deaths have been reported due to the accident, some researchers have documented a high incidence of stillbirths and of thyroid and lung cancer in people living in the region.

While many people point to these high-profile accidents as proof that nuclear power is dangerous, other analysts see them in a more positive light. Experts who support nuclear power claim that the accidents at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island have led to stricter regulations governing...