Why I oppose nuclear energy for Earth

The following is provided as a 'comment for discussion' within the concept of science interacting with society. It is not a study, nor is it presented in any way as a fact.

I oppose the use of nuclear energy on Earth. I do not oppose nuclear research and it is my understanding that exploration of the universe relies on nuclear power.

Why?

The science and engineering of nuclear power has come a long way since Chernobyl and Fukushima. Both accidents and other less notable accidents have been well studied. What caused the accidents and what systems (engineering and human) that should be applied to stop further accidents of each type have been well documented.

Because the science is well known, understood and considered, we don't have 'lab accidents'.

My opposition is to do with people. The HBO Mini series Chernobyl portrays a fictional character, nuclear physicist Ulana Khomyuk presenting the 'science' of a detection of a massive release of nuclear isotopes from Chernobyl in Minsk to a local senior party official. The official informs her that everything is okay (the information he has received makes her science wrong).

This is the core of my opposition (pun intended), yes, she is fictional, but the response is not.

I can see this exact response daily in a range of current Australian Politicians and senior bureaucrats over a wide range of situations.

During the 'incident' person after person couldn't, wouldn't or didn't see what was happening and as a result a chain of events resulted the explosion and the series of mistakes made after. But Chernobyl is not alone. The Deep Sea Horizon accident contains a similar set of human actions and reactions that eventually leads to the disaster. And, these two are not alone. Humans, being humans, lead to disaster time after time.

I would also drag my 'political' net wider. Since 1820 when Alexander von Humbolt published his scientific findings with a warning that human induced climate change would be a major problem for the Earth, there has been study after study confirmed by measurement after measurement that human induced climate change could cause the extinction of human civilisation. Yet, we do nothing. Greta Thunberg put it best "blah blah blah" is all we get and no action.

In conclusion, is nuclear power safe? Not in the hands of humans.