Evaluating Our Responsibility to Future Generations
"I suspect that if there is cause to fear for man's survival it is because the calculus of logic and reason will be applied to problems where they have as little validity, even as little bearing, as the calculus of feeling or sentiment applied to the solution of Euclidian geometry." -- R.
Heilbroner
The above quote from Robert Heilbroner speaks well to my feeling after reading some of the theoretical approaches to the ethics of our
"obligation to future generations" from this weeks readings. For example,
I found Derek Parfit's essay to be particularly unfulfilling. He set out to find a formula "X" which was derived from logic and yet could provide us an answer to all
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She deals with issues of low and high-level radioactive waste and its disposal. I called my mother to ask her for an explanation of why she cares about future generations and about some of the issues relating to our obligation to future generations that she encounters surrounding this issue.
The nuclear waste issue is relevant here because it deals with two issues - how should we produce energy and how do we deal with the risks involved with the byproducts of nuclear energy? As DesJardins discussed,
"Even a small amount of plutonium will remain highly toxic for 250,000 years" (71). So in considering waste disposal, the possible effects of leakage create risks that potentially reach extremely far into the future.
The issue my mother is currently evaluating is the proposal by Carolina
Power and Light, Co. to double the high level waste to be held at the
Sharon Harris facility in Chatam County, North Carolina. Investigations have shown that the doubling of waste in this facility (to the equivalent of 10 times the capacity of Chernoble) will increase the risk of leakage and suscepabilty to accidents. They also know that if a serious accident were to occur, that an area the size of the state of North Carolina could be effected by the radiation. This, of course, is a situation replicated in various places around the country while we try to find a place to store the waste continuously being produced by our
Energy has easily become one of the most important necessities for our everyday lives. Without it we would simply not be able to have transportation or be able to gather any of our other resources that we depend on. If at anytime our energy supply ceases or no longer attainable the results may be horrific. However, it is quite easy to keep this from happening, It is crucial that our current population realize the importance of sustaining our present non-renewable resources. An examination of all the present energy issues and human impacts of energy conservation along with the a resource plan will show importance of energy
Energy is an important part of life producing the power of movement, heat, and production of electricity in many different ways. Therefore, choosing the correct source of energy is important for the environment and humans. Renewable energy that produces electricity never runs out, causing a lower environmental impact. Solar, Biomass, Wind, Geothermal, and Hydropower energy should be used globally to produce electricity. On the other hand, producing electricity from nonrenewable energy sources can be very harmful to humans and the environment. Humans can easily be dependent on it, which may not be the best option when it comes to finance, efficiency, sustainability and more. Approximately 52% of the US electricity comes from polluting sources like natural gas, oil, nuclear, and hydropower that have a lot of disadvantages effecting the environment in a negative way.
Oil, gas, and fossil fuels have been recent controversial issues. There are cleaner forms of energy that could be used, but it is unclear what sources should be used and how to
At the beginning of last year, I convinced my family to start using environmentally products, focusing on green technology. In order to apply environmental technology properly and effectively, I had to figure out what alternative forms of energy existed and how well they worked. This led to my questioning: what other forms of energy could the United States be pursuing to increase its production of electricity? In an effort to research different form of energy and their benefits and detriments, I read two articles: “A Letter to the Editor” by David Rockwood and “Why Uranium is the New Green” by William Sweet. In his letter, David Rockwood, a professional engineer, discusses the several inaccuracies and possible ramifications of wind power as a main source of electricity. Rockwood claims that wind power is unreliable because of flaws in its system and design, not to mention the detrimental environmental impact. Similarly, in his article William Sweet, a college graduate, talks about different ways to impose some kind of carbon regulation. Sweet compares nuclear and wind power to coal-burning power, remarking that nuclear and wind power technologies can make an immediate beneficial difference on greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the fact that Rockwood goes in depth on only wind power while Sweet talks about multiple sources of power, both of the articles made me think that the United States should pursue some other form of energy to increase its production of electricity.
Identified wastes in the current processes using the seven wastes as a guide to what should be looked for. The question was asked, “Why did this waste occur?” and, “What can be done to prevent it?”.
Our society has faced two major energy related problems since the Industrial Revolution. The first is where our future energy resources are going to come from. The United States both consumes and produces an immense
How to change the process so future generations can also be supplied with a reliable renewable energy source.
As the generation of babies born after World War II are known as the baby boomers, my generation will likely still be referred to as the millennials. This is due to many of us being born around the turn of the millennium. However, my generation was also the first to have modern technology interrogated into our academics, vehicles, and all other aspects of our personal lives.
As a evergrowing country, we need reliable energy resources. We need sources that wouldn’t require a large plant, cause environmental effects, be cheap enough to afford, would be something that is easily replenished, and something that would be safe to use. For example, burning coal (a nonrenewable source) is not good for the environment. We are suffering consequences such as more holes in the Ozone layer from using more than needed fossil fuels. Pollution is also a highly equal problem we are facing.
It is the Duty of Americans to defend our nation, vote for new leaders, and sign up for the selective service. We need to do all of these things so that America can thrive on. If we do not do whatever it takes for America to thrive, we can kiss this beautiful nation goodbye. There are a lot of people that would love to come into this nation and change the way we do things. This is a great nation, and if we do not help to make it awesome, we may lose it.
Today, many people are talking about energy production and all the new and old ways to go about it. There are many different modes of energy production that is available or is becoming available to us in the future. The constant debate about what energy production is best for the environment and which is not. In my essay, I will be describing the advantages and disadvantages of coal, oil, and Solar energy.
When most people hear the label Generation –X they think of a hopeless generation of youth that have given into the pressures of the world. I would like you to think of the X as the Greek symbol for “Chi” which is used as a symbol for Christ. In this decade the youth involved in the Christianity has grown significantly. Youth are responding to the church in ways that the past generation did not. Where mom and dad embraced the tumultuous sixties their children have taken hold of Christianity. The youth organizations that promote the Protestant doctrine have seen the youth membership grow by 50% since 1990. Catholic Churches have witnessed their youth involvement double in the last decade. The youth are coming from all
The International Energy Agency estimates that by the year 2003 forty percent of the world's energy production will be from sources other than fossil fuels or nuclear power. Nevertheless, the need for
On this assignment we are going to research all energy sources and their drawbacks, we are also going to explore on some the negative ramifications that even the clean hydropower have, additionally we are going to weigh those against the possible consequences of developing nuclear power, a controversial alternative to fossil fuels. We will discuss the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster as well as the 20th century Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in drawing conclusions about risk versus reward of nuclear energy use.
Finding energy sources is an issue that polarizes scientists, politicians and citizens alike. The most critical points of this debate are at fossil fuels and renewable energy. Energy efficiency is arguably the most dire concern facing the planet, because it significantly impacts all areas of everyday life. Common ground can be found in this controversy because both parties do agree that humans have a responsibility to future generations. That responsibility is to preserve the resources of the Earth, while offering this generation energy that is affordable and accessible.