Nuclear energy will inevitably become an important issue worldwide in the 21st century. It pollutes the environment, with consequences that are highly controversial; and it generates plutonium - the essential component of nuclear weapons. At the same time, it is a realistic alternative to at least some of the expected huge increase in global demand for fossil-fuel burning, which itself is a major source of environmental pollution, and not least of greenhouse gases. This book attempts to provide, for the non-technical reader, an objective and critical account of the main issues involved.