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Atomic Age
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== 1960s == The term "atomic age" was initially used in a negative, futuristic sense, but by the 1960s the threats posed by [[nuclear weapon]]s had begun to edge out nuclear power as the dominant motif of the atom. In the ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'' TV series, a set of vehicles was presented that were imagined to be completely nuclear, as shown in cutaways presented in their comic-books. === Project Plowshare === By exploiting the peaceful uses of the "friendly atom" in medical applications, earth removal and subsequently in nuclear power plants, the nuclear industry and U.S. government sought to allay public fears about nuclear technology and promote the acceptance of [[nuclear weapon]]s. At the peak of the Atomic Age, the U.S. initiated [[Project Plowshare]], involving "peaceful nuclear explosions". The [[United States Atomic Energy Commission]] (AEC) chairman announced that Plowshare was intended to "highlight the peaceful applications of nuclear explosive devices and thereby create a climate of world opinion that is more favorable to weapons development and tests".<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://bos.sagepub.com/content/69/5/56.full |title=Nuclear denial: From Hiroshima to Fukushima |author=Charles Perrow |date=September–October 2013 |volume=69 |issue=5 |journal=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |pages=56–67 |doi=10.1177/0096340213501369 |bibcode=2013BuAtS..69e..56P }}</ref> Plowshare "was named directly from the Bible itself, specifically Micah 4:3, which states that God will beat swords into ploughshares, and spears into pruning hooks, so that no country could lift up weapons against another".<ref name="bks171" /> Proposed uses included widening the [[Panama Canal]], constructing a new sea-level waterway through [[Nicaragua]] nicknamed the Pan-Atomic Canal, cutting paths through mountainous areas for highways, and connecting inland river systems. Other proposals involved blasting caverns for water, natural gas, and petroleum storage. It was proposed to plant underground atomic bombs to [[shale oil extraction|extract shale oil]] in eastern [[Utah]] and western [[Colorado]]. Serious consideration was given to using these explosives for various mining operations. One proposal suggested using nuclear blasts to connect underground [[aquifer]]s in [[Arizona]]. Another plan involved surface blasting on the western slope of [[California]]'s [[Sacramento Valley]] for a water transport project.<ref name="bks171" /> However, there were many negative impacts from Project Plowshare's 27 nuclear explosions.<ref name="bks171" /> Consequences included blighted land, relocated communities, [[tritium]]-contaminated water, radioactivity, and fallout from debris being hurled high into the atmosphere. These were ignored and downplayed until the program was terminated in 1977, due in large part to public opposition, after $770 million had been spent on the project.<ref name="bks171">[[Benjamin K. Sovacool]] (2011). ''[[Contesting the Future of Nuclear Power]]: A Critical Global Assessment of Atomic Energy'', [[World Scientific]], pp. 171–172.</ref>
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