Nuclear Power: An Adequate Solution for Electricity?

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Recommended: Chernobyl history paper introduction

It was the night of April 26, 1986, when Alexander Akimov, the shift supervisor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4, rushed to pump water into the fail reactor to prevent the plant from melting down. Without any protective gear, Mr. Akimov was poisoned by the radiation and died three weeks later. The lost of Mr. Akimov’s life only represents a fraction of possible danger of the 442 nuclear power reactors in the world today (PRIS - Number of Reactors Operation Worldwide). ¬These nuclear power plants exhibit a probable destructiveness when failing to operate due to natural disasters or operational mistakes that would ultimately unleash a powerful, invisible killer – radiation. History has shown the difficulty in preventing the spread of radiation, and it is essential for countries to limit the establishments of nuclear power plants because they pose an unprecedented threat to both the environment and public safety. The discovery of radioactive elements in the early 20th century fostered the development of nuclear energy for the electricity generation. After World War II, western countries, especially the United States and the Soviet Union, began a race on nuclear power development. On December 20, 1951, the U.S. generated electricity for the first time using an experimental nuclear reactor at the EBR-I station in Arco, Idaho (History of Nuclear Energy). The U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower gave his "Atoms for Peace" speech at the United Nations in 1953 to promote the development of peaceful nuclear power in the U.S., but it was the Soviet Union that established the world’s first nuclear power plant, Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant, on June 27, 1954. Since then nuclear power plants started to flourish on all continents; the Unit... ... middle of paper ... ...ters.com. 26 Mar. 2011. Web. 27 Mar. 2011. 2011/03/26/us-japan-quake-march-idUSTRE72P16520110326>. Pignolet, G., and A. Celeste. "SPACE SOLAR POWER: ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS AND FUTURE STUDIES." Journal of Aerospace Engineering 14.2 (2001): 72. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 6 Apr. 2011. "PRIS - Number of Reactors Operation Worldwide." International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): Earthquake in Japan. International Atomic Energy Agency, 2000. Web. 27 Mar. 2011. . "WHO | Chernobyl: the True Scale of the Accident." Web. 27 Mar. 2011. mediacentre/news/releases/2005/pr38/en/index.html>. Williams, D. "Radiation carcinogenesis: lessons from Chernobyl." Oncogene 27.(2008): S9-S18. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

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