From oil spills to coal mine collapses, disasters are, unfortunately, commonplace. After being struck by earthquakes and tsunamis, Japan is now facing a nuclear crisis. Closer to home, Chicago is only 60 miles from its own nuclear power plant, and Illinois has more of these facilities than any other state in the U.S. Listen in to this panel discussion about how we get our energy, the pros and cons of the sources, and how the aftermath of recent disasters may affect life in our city today.

Laura Washington moderates this discussion. Panelists include: Henry Henderson, Director, Midwest Program-National Resources Defense Council; WBEZ’s Michael Puente, a bureau reporter who has covered a range of topics related to energy use in the community; and Kennette Benedict, the Executive Director and Publisher of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a magazine established by Manhattan Project scientists in 1945 to inform the public about the dangers of nuclear weapons and other catastrophic threats to humanity.

Recorded Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at the Chicago History Museum.