the pronuke camp has valid points to make, in that public fear of active isotopes is exaggerated compared to fears of more prevalent and imminent risks of daily life.  miscalculation of risk is one of those persistent error problems, about which I've read and written a it in my time.  but the irrationality of some people's fears doesn't automatically guarantee the rationality or "cost-effectiveness" or manageability of the technology.

we might be scared of being bitten by a mad dog because the dog is possessed by devils, dogs are unclean animals and accursed of God, and if we are bitten the dog's devils will enter our soul and condemn us to Hell (not to mention a painful death) -- besides it is a black, hairy, ugly dog and scary-looking.  the irrationality of this colourful belief system is undeniable, but that doesn't make the dog's bite harmless;  we may very well get rabies or tetanus and die anyway :-)

The difference between theory and practise in practise ...