Nuclear Reactions explores the nuclear consensus that emerged in
post-World War II America, characterized by widespread support for a
diplomatic and military strategy based on nuclear weapons and a vision
of economic growth that welcomed nuclear energy both for the generation
of electricity and for other peaceful and industrial uses. Unease about
the environmental consequences of nuclear energy and weapons development
became apparent by the early 1960s and led to the first challenges to
that consensus.
The documents in this collection address issues such as the arms race,
"mutually assured destruction," the emergence of ecosystems ecology and
the environmental movement, nuclear protests, and climate change. They
raise questions about how nuclear energy shaped--and continues to
shape--the contours of postwar American life. These questions provide a
useful lens through which to understand the social, economic, and
environmental tradeoffs embedded within American choices about the use
and management of nuclear energy.