Nuclear Power: A Radioactive Waste of Time Essay

For umteen years now, technology has strived to discover alternative expertness sources that atomic number 18 cheap, efficient and not harmful to the environment. Nuclear causality is atomic number 53 of the alternative energy sources that technology has discovered. at that place are umpteen views on whether or not it tinges the aforementioned criteria, but the major lodge in when it comes to atomic superpower is the safety issue. Is atomic power safe? There is satisfactory evidence to prove that it is very grave, including past nuclear power cerebrate catastrophes, the by-product of nuclear power, and the fact that nuclear power localizes are a vulnerable target for terrorists.Firstly, the amount at risk when it comes to nuclear power is overwhelming, accidental meltdowns conduct the ability to cause instant death to m whatsoever people, and have a spirit time effect on legion(predicate) to a greater extent. On April 26th, 1986, an accident happened at the Cherno byl nuclear plant in Ukraine, and it caused a meltdown in the reactor. The egresss were catastrophic the meltdown released to a greater extent radioactivity than the atomic bombs that dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. During the disaster, 56 people died and intimately 600,000 people were exposed to extravagantly levels of radiation. The radiation spread to places as far as Scotland. _Refer to figure 1._There are arguments that the Chernobyl meltdown was a result of old technology and mismanagement. Yet, since Chernobyl, tally to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission there have been close to 200 near misses in the US in which the fuel rods at the core of reactor came close to melting down. Nuclear power gambles with our lives, our wellness and the environment, an accident at work for someone roll in the hay end the life of many.The nuclear bolt out that comes with nuclear energy is a major concern for the environment. On average, a atomic number 92 ore contains further 0.1% uranium. The majority of the materials extracted during uranium ore exploit is waste containing other hazardous radioactive and toxic substances. Most nuclear reactors require one specific form of uranium, uranium-235 (U-235). This form represents only 0.7% of inborn uranium. To increase the concentration of U-235, the uranium extracted from ore goes through an enrichment growth, resulting in a downcast quantity of usable enriched uranium and huge volumes of waste. Enriched uranium is then launch into fuel rods and transported to nuclear reactors where electricity is generated. Nuclear power plant public presentation transforms uranium fuel into a rich, highly-toxic and dangerous mixture of radioactive elements, such as plutonium.Plutonium is the manmade element used in nuclear bombs, only a small amount is needed to bring about a lay waste to outcome this deadly mixture remains dangerous for about 240,000 years. Furthermore, the radioactive waste produced emits large am ounts of hazardous radiation. Even a twosome of minutes of exposure to high-level waste can easily result in fatal doses of radiation. Radioactive waste therefore needs to be reliably stored for 240,000 years, one should take into account that humans have been on earth for only 200,000 yearsAnother problem is that there is no authoritative spot to store away this waste for such a long period of time. Re work ating of nuclear waste was supposed to be a solution to the problem however, the reprocessing plants use a process that actually leads to more hazardous waste flows. not only is there the long frontier radioactive waste to worry about, but also the depleted uranium (DU). Currently there is about 1.2 million tonnes of depleted uranium stored without any foreseen use in the future. _Refer to figure 2._The American and British governments used DU as armour for tanks and piercing tips for munitions in the Gulf War, veterans of this war have had health problems due to their expos ure to DU. Even their children have suffered from their exposure to DU. Hence the process that it takes to produce nuclear power and all the waste that comes as a by-product is a commodious and dangerous waste of time. The radioactive waste can be harmful to our health and our environment, and without a safe and reliable storage method we should realize the more nuclear power we process the larger the problem of nuclear waste.The nuclear industry may wall that nuclear power is the solution to global warming and the modality crisis by promoting nuclear power as a low carbon solution. straight offs world is hooked on coal, oil and gas desirous these fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming and climate change. Furthermore, oil and gas are finite, so a long end point solution to the problem is desperately needed. However, nuclear power is not the answer, as nuclear power can only provide electricity it cannot meet our transport or heating energy n eeds. Nuclear power generates slightly 15% of the Earths electricity, but only 6.5% of the worlds total energy supply. _Refer to figure 3._Additionally, according to the Energy Scenario by the worldwide Energy Agency, even if existing world nuclear power cognitive content could be quadrupled by 2050, its share of world energy consumption would salvage be below 10%. This would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by little than 4%. Hence nuclear power clearly isnt a solution to global warming.Nuclear power increases the risk of nuclear weapons capability of spreading to other countries, of terrorists gaining material to make nuclear bombs and of potential terrorist attacks on nuclear facilities or transports. Reactors have not been built to withstand the touch of a large aircraft nuclear waste transports are even more vulnerable to terrorists. A study by Dr. Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists finds that a potential terrorist attack on the Indian Point nuclear plant i n the US could lead to 518,000 long-term deaths from cancer and as many as 44,000 near-term deaths from acute radiation poisoning. These numbers are from a potential terrorist attack on one plant, over half a million people will be killed because of nuclear power.It is blatant that nuclear power is shaky, even if a reactor core doesnt meltdown by the bye a terrorist could cause the same results that a regular meltdown would. Not to mention the black market that has developed to nuclear materials. A typical power plant produces enough plutonium annually for 10-15 crude nuclear bombs. Experiments conducted by the government of the United States have shown that several nuclear weapons can be built in a matter of weeks using unremarkable spent fuel from light water reactors (the most common oddball of reactors). Another study by the US government revealed that a earth with only a minimal industrial base could secretly and quickly construct a small plant just 40 metres long, able of extracting about a bombs worth of plutonium each day. Hence nuclear power is unsafe and can lead to massive destruction at the hands of terrorists.In conclusion, nuclear power is an unsafe for many reasons. Firstly, there have been nuclear meltdowns in the past which yielded devastating results, and many more close calls. Secondly, there is no solution for radioactive waste which is harmful to us and our environment. Also, nuclear power doesnt attention our environment through its low carbon solution. Lastly, nuclear power plants are vulnerable to terrorist attacks, which puts the safety of many at risk. Hence, nuclear power is unsafeWorks CitedGreenpeace International. (2009). Nuclear power. Retrieved January 6, 2011, from http//www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/international/press/reports/nuclear-power.pdfSterner, B. W. alphabet Says Nuclear Reactor Unsafe The Tech. The Tech MITs Oldest and Largest Newspaper. Retrieved January 6, 2011, from http//tech.mit.edu/V125/N46/nu kesafety.htmlNuclear Energy. educational Web Sites. Retrieved January 6, 2011, from http//www.phy6.org/stargaze/Snuclear.htmPhysicsworld. Do we need nuclear power? Retrieved January 6, 2011, from http//www.physicsworld.com/cws/ article/print/128Pros and cons of nuclear power Time for change. Retrieved January 6, 2011, from http//timeforchange.org/pros-and-cons-of-nuclear-power-and-sustainabilityThis contamination will have an effect on several generations to come.FIGURE 1FIGURE 2The process in which nuclear power is generated, steps 1-5.FIGURE 3Nuclear Power only generates electricity, hence why it cant be a solution to climate change.