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I think the general aversion to nuclear is explained in part by our tendency to overestimate the risk of rare, catastrophic events and underestimate the risk of everyday events. This is precisely why we tend to fear flying more than driving, although the latter is far more dangerous. Ezra Klein has a nice summary of this phenomenon today, "How We Get Risk Wrong":

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/how-we-g...

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Not to mention the generous amount of non-nuclear catastrophic industrial events that already happen from time to time. Oddly enough, nuclear still has a worse reputation than hidroelectric energy, the chemical industry or coal burning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Smog http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banqiao_Dam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamata_disease

I'd say there are lots of people who think that nuclear power plant can explode like nuclear bomb.

Heh, yeah. It is hilarious at first sight, but this misconception is actually common.

Doesn't need to blow up like a nuke to kill 10% of the population inside the quarantined zone within 10 years from cancer caused by radiation exposure.

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