An editorial in Japan Times, March 23, titled "Nuclear Power No Solution," by Brahma Chellaney, pointed out serious drawbacks to the push for nuclear energy.
Nuclear power is highly capital-intensive. "It has high up-front capital costs, long lead times for construction and commissioning, and drawn-out amortization periods that put off private investors." (Many are partly or largely government-funded and subsidized).

Nuclear reactors are water-intensive. This is one reason for locating them near coastlines (thus exposed to natural disasters).
Light-water reactors (like Japan and U. S.), which use water as the main coolant, produce most of the world's nuclear power. "The huge quantities of local water that LWRs use for their operations become hot-water outflows, which are pumped back into rivers, lakes and oceans."
When droughts and other causes deplete the water supply, nuclear companies must but outside power. "Indeed, during the 2003 heat wave, Electricite de France, which operates 58 reactors- the majority on ecologically sensitive rivers like the Loire- was compelled to buy power on the European spot market."
In 2006, operators in western Europe obtained exemptions from environmental regulations so that they could discharge overheated water into natural ecosystems, effecting fisheries.

Nuclear power in France supplies 78 percent of the country's electricity, but withdraws half of France's total freshwater consumption.

Freshwater scarcity is a growing problem. A water guzzler, this problem equals that of radiation and spent fuel problems.

Brahma Chellaney wrote "Nuclear Proliferation," Longman, 1993, and "Water. Asia's New Battlefield," Georgetown University Press, forthcoming.
Brahma Chellaney is Professor of Strategic Studies at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi. He has held appointments at Harvard, Johns Hopkins University of Advanced International Studies, the Brookings Institution and the Australian National University.