If Chernobyl disaster was worse - effect on use of nuclear power and weapons

I don't know how it could have been worse. The accident itself was the result of an abnormal peak in power output due to unsafe testing at low power levels. How they could have done that worse it beyond me.

Perhaps if the winds were going in a different direction or some such thing then the fallout could have drifted over more densely populated areas?

Either way: Chernobyl is the worst nuclear power disaster in history, yet the only effect it had on nuclear power in the world was to watch it more carefully (as well as the money spent on cleanup). Maybe OTL's anti-nuclear powers are more outspoken, and have more numbers. This in turn could put pressure on other anti-nuclear powers.

I'd suspect that if Chernobyl caused more deaths and cost more money then a lot of Europe wouldn't be testing nuclear weapons in the Pacific.
 
Chernobyl already damaged the credibility of nuclear power to an incredible degree, at least in the minds of ignorant laymen; unless we go into ludicrous ASB scenarios of half of Europe being literally rendered inhabitable, I can't imagine publicity being much worse. As for nuclear weapons, I'm not sure how the incident would affect development of those, since, after all, nukes are designed to create massive destruction.
 
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Chernobyl already damaged the credibility of a nuclear power to an incredible degree, at least in the minds of ignorant laymen; unless we go into ludicrous ASB scenarios of half of Europe being literally rendered inhabitable, I can't imagine publicity being much worse. As for nuclear weapons, I'm not sure how the incident would affect development of those, since, after all, nukes are designed to create massive destruction.

Not to mention weapons stockpiles have been falling since before Chernobyl actually happened.
 
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