Worldwide we have 442 active nuclear power plants, another 60 plus are under construction - some in countries which could use hydro-power. The U.S.A. have 104, in Europe France have the most with 58 (and very few incidents), then Russia with 32 - Japan have 54 - well you'll have to reduce that number by Fukushima.
Our past history with nuclear, and in particular in war situations, has given me the faint hope that self-protective instincts in both warmongers and terrorists are strong enough not to endanger themselves and their families, because nuclear affects both friend and foe.
Counting 'the bomb' over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, we have had four major nuclear incidents in 66 years, that makes an average of one major incident every 16 years - (statistics for lives lost and resulting illness is available if you research long enough) - but please compare this to our road toll, or the human cost of extracting coal (including disease), in for example China (where people still labour under primitive conditions) - or as close to home as Tasmania and New Zealand - in all fairness CO2 emissions from coal should also be included.
Mankind will learn its lessons as we go along the nuclear path. As with the stolen fire in the Greek legend of Prometheus we may well have to learn our nuclear lesson with great pain.
The focus in Japan should be on the thousands of earthquake and tsunami victims - this is the bigger problem IMO.
