I am afraid World War II was the beginning of the fear of nuclear energy. The following cold war also did no favor for the image of nuclear power. This is an energy source that is looking for a favorable image but cannot seem to get a break. In the US getting a permit to build anything nuclear is an exercise in futility at best.
Dorothy Davis on the website www.pennenergy.com wrote a story looking at the record of nuclear energy and what the future might be. An excerpt:
“…When looking at the future of nuclear power it is important to avoid doing so only through the lens of past accidents. While there are important lessons to be learned from such events these do not come close to representing the nuclear industry as a whole.
While most energy industry professionals already know this, the next critical step is to effectively share the full story of nuclear power with consumers and government officials. Failing to do so could mean the loss of one of the most innovative, clean and abundant energy resource available to the world. …”