It is safer to live near a nuclear power plant than to ride a plane, says an expert. Do we have a Not In My Backyard (Nimby) syndrome?

Synopsis: Every second Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Nuclear energy: Why not? That is the response from an expert on why Singapore is exploring it.

The radioactive release from the Fukushima meltdown in 2011 did not kill anyone, but thousands of workers at coal mines die every year, says Dr Alvin Chew, a senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in NTU.

Dr Chew’s research focuses on the usage of civilian nuclear energy. He was previously with the civil service, working on energy security and energy transition issues.

“When you compare the (nuclear sector) to airline industries, there are more airline crashes and lives being lost. But yet, people are still flying,” he adds.

Still, the horrors of nuclear disasters such as the meltdowns in Chernobyl and Fukushima appear to have scarred mankind. To go nuclear or not is a highly polarising topic in many countries.

To gain the public’s trust on nuclear energy in Singapore, Dr Chew emphasises the importance for authorities to explain a country’s need for nuclear energy, educate the people about radiation safety, and also ensure the population is prepared for a worst-case scenario.

Most of the time, the best form of protection is to stay at home, shut the windows and wait for the authorities’ instructions, he adds.

Singapore, like several other countries mired by the triple threat of climate change, energy security and rising electricity costs, is taking a hard look at a controversial energy source – nuclear power.

The authorities have been exploring advanced nuclear technologies, such as small modular reactors (SMRs), that are promised to be safer.

In this episode, Lynda Hong and co-host Shabana Begum find out what drives the fear of nuclear power. Will Singapore residents allow a nuclear plant to be built in their 'backyard'?