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Chernobyl disaster essay
Impact of the chernobyl disaster on humans
Chernobyl disaster summary in 400 words
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DISEC Angola Topic 1: Peaceful Uses for Nuclear Technology I. Introduction Nuclear technology can be useful for things such as food preservation, insect control, agriculture, medicine, water resources, and in industries as well. However, with such tremendous benefits, come large drawbacks. There have been three large accidents in the history of nuclear energy: Three Mile Island in 1979, in which the fuel dripped to the base of the nuclear reactor and the reactor was damaged but radiation was not a health issue; Chernobyl in 1986, where the reactor was not designed with a fail-safe technology of water, but was used with graphite which contains a “positive void coefficient”, the problem with this mechanism was that once temperatures increased the graphite could catch fire. Once this graphite caught fire it send radioactive debris high into the atmosphere which was distributed by the winds. To this day Chernobyl is an abandoned reminder of the failed structure of this reactor and still contains radioactivity. The only thing that remains here are they slowly decaying structures. The possibility of terrorist attacks on nuclear reactors are things that causes concern for nations as well. To address these concerns, the possibility of a terrorist group intending on crashing an airplane into a nuclear reactor to try and produce radiation spread is fairly little for the reason being that if a plane were to hypothetically speaking crash into one of these nuclear reactors, it would cause little to no damage because of the structure they are made of that are built to withstand such impacts. Nuclear proliferation is the biggest controversy relating to the peaceful uses of nuclear technology. When using nuclear energy, once you finish us... ... middle of paper ... ...sociation. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. "Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission." English Name of the Content Author / Nom En Anglais De L'auteur Du Contenu. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. "Cooling Power Plants." Cooling Power Plants. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. "Fukushima Angola Statement." Pub.iaea. N.p., n.d. Web. 2013. "GENERAL ASSEMBLY URGES GLOBAL COOPERATION IN PEACEFUL USES OF NUCLEARENERGY, FOLLOWING DISCUSSION OF IAEA REPORT." UN News Center. UN, 11 Jan. 2004. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. "The Many Uses of Nuclear Technology." The Many Uses of Nuclear Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. "Preventing Nuclear Meltdown: Assessing Regulatory Failure in Japan and the United States." The Brookings Institution. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. "Safety of Nuclear Power Reactors." Safety of Nuclear Reactors. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
Nuclear energy is used today for energy supply and about 15% of the world’s energy comes from nuclear power plants some forms of medicine such as nuclear medicine rely solely on nuclear technology. This technology was developed through the process of creating the first atomic bomb and would not exist if not for the advancements made during the Manhattan project.
Nuclear power has always been a controversial issue because of its inherent danger and the amount of waste that the plants produce. Once considered a relatively safe form for generating energy, nuclear power has caused more problems than it has solved. While it has reduced the amount of traditional natural resources (fossil fuels), used to generate power like coal, wood, and oil, nuclear generating plants have become anachronisms. Maintaining them and keeping them safe has become a problem of immense proportion. As the plants age and other technology becomes available, what to do with these “eyesores” is a consuming issue for many government agencies and environmental groups. No one knows what to do about the problem and in many areas of the world, another nuclear meltdown is an accident waiting to happen. Despite a vast array of safety measures, a break in reactor pipe or a leak in a containment vessel, could spell another environmental disaster for the world.
The continuous spread of nuclear technology and nuclear weapons is a threat for national security and the safety of the entire planet. The inextricable link between nuclear energy and nuclear power is arguably the greatest danger of nuclear power. The same low-enriched uranium that is processed in a nuclear power plant is the same uranium used to make nuclear weapons. Nuclear power plants are the contributors to these mass destruction weapon capable of wiping out the human race. An article published by the World Nuclear Stockpile Report says, “ Nine countries in the world posses a total of 15,375 nuclear weapons.
Out of all the dangerous powers and authority our government wields, possibly the most threatening powers are nuclear weapons. People tend to be frightened by things they do not understand, which make nuclear weapons a perfect catalyst for fear. These weapons have the most overwhelming and destructive power known to man; although, nuclear weapons are only safe in countries that try to maintain harmony and stability. Nuclear weapons are defined as “explosive devices whose destructive potential derives from the release of energy that accompanies the splitting or combining of atomic nuclei.” This power is both dangerous and unstable in the hands of small erratic countries.
"The Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty Has a Proud Record of Success « Nuclear-news." Nuclear-news. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. .
After the United States developed the atomic at the end of World War II, interest in nuclear technology increased exponentially. People soon realized that nuclear technology could be used for electricity, as another alternative to fossil fuels. Today, nuclear power has its place in the world, but there is still a lot of controversy over the use of nuclear energy. Things such as the containment of radiation and few nuclear power plant accidents have given nuclear power a bad image. However, nuclear power is a reliable source of energy because it has no carbon emissions, energy is available at any time, little fuel is needed for a lot of energy, and as time goes on, it is becoming safer and safer.
"UNODA - Nuclear Weapons Home." UN News Center. UN, 01 Jan. 2014. Web. 05 May 2014.
To this end, the agency has established the U.S. obligation to the nonproliferation of nuclear material to the international community. Moreover, the dedication of the NRC to the IAEA is well enumerated on NRC’s official website; and according to the NRC Webpage (2012), the activities are to “strengthen the capability of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to verify a State's commitment regarding the peaceful use of nuclear materials and to prevent the spread of nuclear explosives capability” (“Radiation and National,”
From the creation of nuclear weapons at the start of the Cold War to today, the world has experienced struggles fueled by the want of nuclear power. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Iran’s nuclear weapon program are some of the most important conflicts over nuclear weapons. Thanks to the use of nuclear weapons in 1945 to end World War II, the world has come extremely close to a nuclear war, and more countries have began developing nuclear power. Unmistakably, many conflicts since the start of the Cold War have been caused by nuclear weapons, and there are many more to come.
8) "Interesting Energy Facts." : Nuclear Energy Has Great Potential. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2014.
In 1945, when the Americans bombed Hiroshima, Japan, approximately 140,000 men and women were instantly killed by the effects of American nuclear defense. With such extreme brutality and force how many people must die for one to finally realize the strengths of nuclear bombs and what damage they can cause. Nuclear weapons should be outlawed because they kill thousands of innocent humans at a time, destroy the environment, and inviolate human’s right to moral and personal freedoms.
Technological and accidental hazards can be occur without warning and can be both hazardous material incidents and failures at nuclear power plant. In some cases, victims that have been exposed to harmful chemicals or radiation show little to no symptoms until several years later. There are an increasing number of new substances and chemicals being manufactured which has increased the likelihood of a hazardous material spill or release. This also increases the risk to the environment and to the health and safety of a community.
The greatest disadvantages of nuclear energy are the risks posed to mankind and the environment by radioactive materials. ‘On average a nuclear plant annually generates 20 metric tons of used nuclear fuel cla...
World Nuclear Association. (Updated October 2013). Safety of Nuclear Power Reactors. Available: http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Safety-of-Nuclear-Power-Reactors/. Last accessed 25th April 2014.
Media coverage of such cases have made the public less comfortable with the idea of moving further towards nuclear power and they only opt for reducing human activities to reduce global warming. It is true that there have been some notable disasters involving nuclear power, but compared to other power systems, nuclear power has an impressive track record. First, it is less harmful and second, it will be able to cater for the growing world population. Nuclear power produces clean energy and it delivers it at a cost that is competitive in the energy market (Patterson). According to the US Energy Information Administration, there are currently 65 such plants in the Unite States (National Research Council). They produce 19 percent of the total US energy generation.