The Benefits and Dangers of Nuclear Energy - Essay Example

?The Benefits and Dangers of Nuclear Energy Affiliation with more information about affiliation, research grants, conflict of interest and how to contact The Benefits and Dangers of Nuclear Energy Introduction: Nuclear energy or atomic energy usually means the energy released by nuclear fission, nuclear fusion or radioactive decay. The amount of mass that is lost in either of these processes is converted to energy. The energy released is calculated using Einstein’s famous formula, E=MC2, Where E = energy released, M= mass lost, And C= velocity of light in vacuum, i.e. 3x108 m/s Since C is a very large value, the mass lost even though small when multiplied with C gives out a huge amount of energy. Nuclear Fission: Nuclear fission is the process of splitting atoms larger than iron, such as Uranium or Plutonium into two smaller atoms with the release of huge amount of energy and neutrons. Nuclear fission is discovered first. Controlled nuclear fission is used to generate electricity and uncontrolled nuclear fission is used to make nuclear weapons, such as atomic bombs and hydrogen bombs. Nuclear fission also produces a large amount of nuclear wastes. “In nuclear weapons, fission and fusion of certain slightly radioactive materials release energy in a huge explosion” (Medalia, 2004, p. 1). “The element uranium is the main fuel used to undergo nuclear fission to produce energy since it has many favorable properties. Uranium nuclei can be easily split by shooting neutrons at them. Also, once a uranium nucleus is split, multiple neutrons are released which are used to split other uranium nuclei. This phenomenon is known as a chain reaction. Fission of uranium 235 nucleus. Adapted from Nuclear Energy. Nuclear Waste” (Nuclear Energy, n.d.). Nuclear Fusion: Nuclear fusion is the process of joining two atoms smaller than iron such as hydrogen or helium to produce heavier atoms and that large amount of energy is produced in this reaction, which is much more than the energy produced by nuclear fission. Nuclear fusion is the main source of energy in the universe because all the stars including the sun produce energy by nuclear fusion. Other than nuclear fission, man has not yet discovered a method to control nuclear fusion, and nuclear fusion is not used to generate electricity. Scientists are working hard to discover a method to control nuclear fusion so that it can be used to generate electricity. Nuclear fusion is only used in hydrogen bomb which is the deadliest weapon humanity has ever seen. The temperature required to start a nuclear fusion is so large that it is provided by the explosion of an atom bomb. Benefits of Nuclear Energy: The largest advantage of nuclear power is that it does not emit any harmful gases to the atmosphere like carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, or nitrogen dioxide, that is, no green house gasses like carbon dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere, and so using nuclear fuel can reduce global warming. As nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide are not emitted, acid rains can also be reduced. The only emission from nuclear reactors is water vapor. Hence nuclear energy is known as clean energy. “It is difficult to explain to a non-specialist (though it is actually true) that the nuclear reactor of a nuclear power station is nothing like an atomic bomb, that the power station burning coal or oil offers much greater danger and harm to the environment as well as a biological threat to people than does a nuclear station or breeder reactor of the same capacity rating” (Sakharov, 1978, p. 12). “Although the initial cost of building nuclear plants is high, the running costs are relatively low. One reason the costs are low is that nuclear plants need only a small amount of uranium to produce a lot of energy. In fact, if the cost of uranium is doubled, costs would only be increased by 7%. 1 truck of uranium produces as much energy as 1000 trucks of coal!” (Advantages of Nuclear Power, 2012). Efficiency: Another major advantage of nuclear power is its efficiency. A same amount of nuclear fuel produces 10 million times more energy than that produced by fossil fuels. We all know that the fossil fuels available on earth will last only up to some decades. But uranium, the main source of nuclear energy, is largely present in the earth crust. Another nuclear fuel is thorium, which is four times more abundant than uranium. This is enough to generate power for many centuries to come. “Uranium supplies, which nuclear energy relies on, are, in the end, finite in the same way that natural gas and oil are. However, uranium is presently significantly cheaper than natural gas or oil and uranium supplies are more likely to last for ten years or more. Australia generates a very huge percentage of the uranium in the world and is in a good position to sell this fuel to India and China where an increasing problem seems to be greenhouse gasses” (Advantages of Nuclear Energy, 2012). “When compared to the fossil fuel waste, the nuclear waste which occurs due to the production of nuclear power is not only small in quantity but also remains confined so as not to affect anyone in its surroundings. It has been proved that if a typical family of four uses nuclear power for all its needs the waste produced over a period of a lifetime would be as small as a golf ball” (Nuclear Power Benefits, 2010). The only byproduct of nuclear power plant is the nuclear waste, which can be easily disposed by packing and dumping it in a lonely place where it decays slowly. A major problem raised by people against nuclear energy is the chance for an accident. But the chance for an accident is very low, and accidents may occur in other energy projects also. “Present day reactors with low enriched uranium-235 will not give a nuclear explosion. Various accidents are possible and those have been examined in great detail in the preliminary Rasmussen report. The probabilities of accidents are very, very small and I believe that these probabilities can be further reduced, and particularly that the magnitude and the consequences of accidents can be further diminished” (A Science Policy Visit to Israel, 1977, p. 33). Another advantage of nuclear power plant is that they can operate for long time without refueling. “Nuclear power plants are designed to operate continuously for long periods of time. They can run about 540 days before they are shut down for refueling. The longest continuous run by a light water reactor is Three Mile Island, Unit 1, in Pennsylvania, which completed a 688-day run. The longest run of any type of reactor is 894 days, achieved by the Pickering 7 plant, a heavy-water reactor in Ontario, Canada (Canadian CANDU reactors can be refueled while operating)” (Nuclear Energy, n.d.). Dangers of Nuclear Energy: One of the major dangers of nuclear reactors is the possibilities of accidents. Even though the chances for nuclear accidents are low the risk is very high. Once an accident occurs it can kill thousands of people and make many more people cancer patients. “Incidents such as Chernobyl or Three Mile Island serve as reminders of how dangerous nuclear power plants can be. Both of those accidents occurred because of a core meltdown. In the case of a core meltdown, the flowing cooling water to the reactor stops and the core overheats. When the core overheats, the products inside may flow out of the building and contaminate the surrounding area with radioactive material” (Disadvantages of Nuclear Power, n.d.). The recent accident at Fukushima in Japan occurred due to an earth quake. “Radioactive Waste: The production of nuclear power produced a lot of waste material. This waste material is extremely hazardous and difficult to dispose of safely. Most radioactive waste produced by a nuclear power plant is kept on site, or is buried underground in huge concrete pits. This waste has to be carefully looked after for many thousands of years” (Disadvantages of Nuclear Power, 2012). These waste materials will continue to emit radiations for thousands or millions of years, and designing storage for such a long time is not practical. Another disadvantage of using nuclear power is proliferation, that is, some nuclear reactors known as breeder reactors produce plutonium and only 5 Kg of plutonium is enough to make an atom bomb. “Some forms of nuclear reactor, known as "breeder" reactors produce plutonium, which can, conceivably, are used to make nuclear weapons, most likely in the form of a "dirty bomb". This is a conventional explosive mixed with radioactive material with the intention of spreading the material across a wide area to do even more damage” (Disadvantages of Nuclear Power, 2008). “If breeder-reactors came into operation as rapidly and as widely as our Atomic Energy Commission expects, sometimes shortly after the year 2000, there may be a million bombs worth of civilian plutonium in the world, doubling every 10 years” (Wohlstetter, 1968). Terrorist Target: Since a nuclear reactor accident can cause heavy damage there are possibilities of terrorists targeting a reactor. Conclusion: Nuclear Energy is a clean fuel but there are a lot of disadvantages too. Nuclear fusion is much more a good source of energy but we still don’t know how to control it. If nuclear fusion reactors became a reality that would be one of the best energy sources available. Annotated Bibliography Disadvantages of Nuclear Power, (2012). Want to Know it. Retrieved from http://wanttoknowit.com/disadvantages-of-nuclear-power/ In this article the author mentions the disadvantages of nuclear power, like the high risk associated with the nuclear accidents, the dangers caused by the radioactive waste, the lack of technology for its safe disposal and the chance for terrorist to target a nuclear power plant etc. Medalia, J. (2004). Terrorist “Dirty Bombs”: A Brief Primer. CRS Report for Congress. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/crs/RS21528.pdf The article focuses on RDD (Radiological Dispersal Device) which is not actually a nuclear weapon but it scatters radioactive material mostly with the help of an explosive. Creating an RDD is much easier for terrorist than a nuclear weapon. The effect of RDD depends on some factors like the radioisotopes used. Smaller particles cause more harm but making small particles is very difficult. Nuclear Energy, (n.d.). Oracle Education Foundation. Think Quest. Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/3471/nuclear_energy.html The author in this article says that even though there are a few disadvantages with nuclear energy sources we have to use nuclear energy because the need for energy is increasing day by day and the availability of fossil fuels is going on decreasing. And he also says that by proper planning and precaution we can overcome the disadvantages of nuclear energy. Nuclear Energy, (n.d.). Oracle Education Foundation. Think Quest. Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/3471/nuclear_energy.html In this article the author compares the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy. The author also says what nuclear energy is, the difference between fission and fusion, the milestones in the history of nuclear energy, and also the future of nuclear energy. Sakharov, A. D. (1978). Andrei Sakharov on Nuclear Energy. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: A Magazine of Science and Public Affairs. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.in/books?id=0woAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12&dq=Nuclear+energy+and+the+freedom+of+the+west.&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false In this article the author says about the need to use nuclear energy. The author says we should use make reactors which run on thorium which is more abundant on the earth crust. Reference List Advantages of Nuclear Energy, (2012). Advantages of Nuclear Energy. Retrieved from http://advantagesofnuclearenergy.net/advantages-of-nuclear-energy/ A Science Policy Visit to Israel, (1977). The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: A Magazine of Science and Public Affairs. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.in/books?id=NgwAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA63&dq=Nuclear+energy+and+our+future.+Bulletin+of+the+atomic+scientists&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false Disadvantages of Nuclear Power, (2012). Want to Know it. Retrieved from http://wanttoknowit.com/disadvantages-of-nuclear-power/ Medalia, J. (2004). Terrorist “Dirty Bombs”: A Brief Primer. CRS Report for Congress. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/crs/RS21528.pdf Nuclear Energy, (n.d.). Oracle Education Foundation. Think Quest. Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/3471/nuclear_energy.html Nuclear Power Benefits, (2010). Benefits of Nuclear Power. Retrieved from http://www.benefitsofnuclearpower.com/ Sakharov, A. D. (1978). Andrei Sakharov on Nuclear Energy. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: A Magazine of Science and Public Affairs. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.in/books?id=0woAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12&dq=Nuclear+energy+and+the+freedom+of+the+west.&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false Wohlstetter, A. (1968). Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Science and Public Affairs. Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.in/books?id=MgcAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA2&dq=Perspective+on+Nuclear+Energy.+Bulletin+of+the+Atomic+Scientists&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false Read More