Media coverage of the Japan nuclear reactor leak makes it seem like the worst kind of power plant disaster that you would ever face. But when you look at the actual statistics and history of similar disasters, nuclear power plants are not the most dangerous energy sources - even when terrible accidents happen.
The disaster in Japan is horrific, and we aren't trying to say it isn't a terrible situation. The question we're trying to answer rationally here is whether nuclear power plant accidents cause more damage than other kinds of power plants. We've put together a list of five of the worst power plant disasters in recent history, measured by death toll, monetary damage, and regions affected. The lesson? The issue isn't so much the kind of energy you use, but how you design the power plants that contain it.
