Nuclear Information Centre
Encircled (2024). (MP4, Duration 5m 01s)
[NIC/GD/011]
https://vimeo.com/922552388
Harnessing both kinetic and gravitational potential energy, the Nuclear Information Centre pendulum moves with apparent effortlessness across both deep and shallow time whilst simultaneously providing much-needed Anthropocenic spiritual guidance and tidy yes/no answers to the conundrum of safely managing the ever-growing global inventory of human generated radioactive waste.The growing scientific consensus amongst most nuclear states is that geological disposal represents the best and safest solution for dealing with our most problematic and long-lasting waste arising from the accumulation of eight decades and counting of spent nuclear fuel and associated radioactive by-products.
In addition to the natural barrier of the “host” rock, of which three main types have been identified as suitable, geological disposal also builds in engineered barriers, including bentonite clay as a backfill material with the whole facility designed to isolate and contain the waste deep underground over the hundreds of thousands of years it will take to reach nominally safe levels.
In terms of addressing our domestic waste, geological disposal may seem to be “the right thing to do for today’s society and future generations” but we should also consider this consent-based solution within the context of our wider global nuclear footprint. The ongoing and enduring legacies of uranium mining, atomic weapons testing and unplanned radiological releases are not so tidily managed or contained and will continue to unfold over both human and geological timescales.
Information last updated: Mon 25 Aug 2025
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