Applications of Nuclear Physics to Energy Development

Initial Questions

1. How can you acquire energy from breaking chemical bonds within the nucleus without using radioactive (and highly dangerous) elements?
2. Is there any way to acquire energy by breaking the bonds between gluons and quarks in any stable, common element such as carbon?
3. How could humans work at nuclear power facilities without being exposed to harmful radiation?
4. Could the proton-proton reaction realistically be manipulated to produce usable energy in nuclear power plants?

[1]

1. What current projects are underway to further develop nuclear technology?
2. How do different doses and wavelengths of radiation affect the human body? Could usable energy be acquired through nuclear means while exposing workers to a "safer" dose or type of radiation? In other words, is there any way to reduce the health risks of working in a nuclear power plant without disrupting the process of extracting energy?
3. How can the problem of storing dangerous chemical waste from nuclear power plants be eliminated?