Reactors & War Zones: Fact v Fiction, Demagoguery
With combat raging across Ukrainian nuclear reactor sites and sites changing hands between Ukraine and Russia, with shells, rockets and missiles landing inside the sites’ perimeters, concerns of nuclear accidents spring to mind with memories of Three Mile Island, Fukushima and, ironically in the case of Ukraine, Chernobyl. Minimally-informed media personalities breathlessly proclaim gloom and doom. What are the facts, what is fiction, drama and demagoguery? Lecture examines the accident potential, discusses the recent war history, steps taken to reduce the threats, and disinformation campaigns. Presented by Capt. Mark McDonagh, USN/ret., a physicist and former nuclear submarine officer with 12 years’ experience at the Naval War College, on the National Security Decision Making Game staff.