This American power plant had much better safety features than its Russian counterpart. This accident is proof that nuclear power is safe even when things go wrong. Despite the successful containment of the dangerous radiation, many people who lived near the plant panicked and fled their homes after the accident. Much of the panic was caused by the media. Panic could have been avoided if the TMI administrators would have been quicker to inform the public about the situation and what action they should take.
Many people have an unfounded fear of nuclear power.
Author Richard Rhodes attributes this fear to the cold war. People associate nuclear power with the weapons of mass destruction that bear the same name. A nuclear bomb, however, is completely different from a nuclear reactor. A nuclear reactor cannot cause the damage that a nuclear bomb can. Mr. Rhodes wonders why the anti-nuclear power activists do not attack an industry that is truly dangerous.