NUCLEAR POWER IS SAFER THAN YOU THINK
U.VA. PROFESSOR EMERITUS SAYS WE'LL BE SEEING MORE OF IT 

	CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Sept. 13 -- Since the accident at
Three Mile Island, nuclear power has generated more heat than light
on the U.S. political scene.
But as this country heads into the 21st century, that should change
as nuclear energy becomes one of the world's dominant sources of
electricity, writes Albert B. Reynolds, in his new book about the
commercial nuclear power industry, "Bluebells and Nuclear Energy." 
Growing dependence on nuclear energy to power the U.S. economy won't
happen right away -- in 1995, burning coal was the source of 51
percent of electricity in the country, with most new power in the
1990s provided by natural gas -- but it will happen, Reynolds
believes. For that reason, the public should understand the
industry's true risks and benefits, which have been distorted by the
media and fringe environmental groups, according to Reynolds:
	It is unfortunate that many who fear nuclear energy argue
that renewable sources of energy combined with conservative can
provide all of our electricity in the future. This is an
illusion...We ought to develop conservation and renewable sources to
whatever extent possible. Even if we do, however, there will be a
huge gap that must be filled with nuclear energy. The widely
proclaimed political position that renewable energy sources can do
it without nuclear is an irresponsible hoax. 


	Reynolds, a professor emeritus of nuclear engineering at the
University of Virginia, wrote the book as a text for his summer
courses for middle-school and high-school science teachers. But the
book, which takes a conversational approach to complicated topics,
could be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about
radiation and the nuclear power industry. The chapters on radiation
and the disposal of nuclear waste have broad appeal, while the
explanation of how a nuclear power plant works is easily skipped by
the less technically inclined.
	As industrialized countries seek to limit the greenhouse
effect produced in part by burning fossil fuels and continue to
deplete world supplies of non-renewable oil, coal and natural gas,
the appeal of nuclear power will grow. Already, 18 countries depend
more on nuclear energy to supply their electricity needs than does
the United States. At the head of the list is France, which in 1994
relied on nuclear power for 75 percent of its electricity needs,
compared with just 22 percent in the U.S. 
	Educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Reynolds was a manager for General Electric Company's nuclear power
business in San Jose, Calif., from 1959 to 1968. He joined the U.Va.
faculty in 1968 and retired from the teaching faculty last May.
Reynolds' current research includes work on developing radiation
monitoring systems to verify a nuclear test ban and designing a
neutron beam that can be used in cancer therapy. 
###
September 12, 1996
	For a review copy of the book ("Bluebells and Nuclear
Energy", Albert B. Reynolds, $22.95, softcover; Madison, Wis.:
Cogito Books, 1996), call Tom Doran, director of public relations
for the Virginia Engineering Foundation, at (804) 924-1381; or to
interview Albert Reynolds, call him at 982-3054.  Television
reporters should call our TV News Office at (804) 924-7550.