Nuclear Waste: The 10,000-Year Challenge (Single Titles Series)

Dolan, Edward F.; Scariano, Margaret M.

ISBN 10: 0531109437 ISBN 13: 9780531109434

Publisher: Franklin Watts, 1990

Examines the causes of nuclear waste, the threats it poses to human health and the environment, and efforts to regulate its disposal.

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 9 Up-- A well-documented, objective outline of the problems involved in handling nuclear waste. Although hampered by stylistic flaws, the book presents more of the political debates currently raging than Margaret and Bruce Hyde's Everyone's Trash Problem: Nuclear Waste (McGraw Hill, 1979; o.p.) without sacrificing necessary explanations. Using language remarkable for its lack of sensationalism, the authors attribute past contamination to ignorance and carelessness rather than to malevolence or profit-seeking. Statistics are sprinkled throughout, but the emphasis is on an explanation of processes and evenhanded descriptions of various parties' political positions. The writing suffers from this approach; passive constructions lessen the impact of disturbing factual statements. There are no direct quotes; information is second-hand. In fact, few people are named. This adds to the air of objectivity, but greatly detracts from the emotional impact of the growing crisis. Gary McCuen's Nuclear Waste: The Biggest Clean-Up in History (GEM, 1990) gives a series of quoted debates on the most important questions. The Hydes' book makes similar points as Dolan and Scariano's in a slightly more engaging style, but lacks the political information, currency, illustrations, and the level of documentation. With its black-and-white photographs that show the massiveness of nuclear machinery, the maps that show locations of nuclear installations, and the updated information, this book is a worthy replacement for older titles. --Jonathan Betz-Zall, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, Edmonds, WA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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