Japan's Fukushima disaster has spurred public protest in India against government plans to build new nuclear power plants, despite the Atomic Energy Commission's reassurances. We should instead be considering solar energy — a safe and sustainable option.

India receives 5,000 trillion kilowatt-hours of solar energy equivalent every year, more than the total energy the country consumes (see go.nature.com/g89snn). India could also easily exploit wind energy to meet its power needs. Yet only a fraction of this potential is being used.

Nuclear power plants are in decline worldwide. India should follow the lead of countries such as Germany and abandon the nuclear option.

A tsunami in 2004 flooded the Kalpakkam Atomic Reprocessing Plant in Chennai. It was promptly shut down, preventing a disaster. But what if there is another tsunami? Until we abandon nuclear power, that question will continue to haunt India's policy-makers, politicians and scientists.