Nuclear Waste In Australia Essay

Nuclear power plants should be legal in Australian as they pose many advantages. Such as high money income and cleaner power source than coal power. This essay will argue that nuclear power plants in Australia should be legalised.

Nuclear waste is a radioactive waste that is dangerous, and a fair percentage of people would agree on this topic. However, is it really dangerous or is it just harmful to an extent? In society, many debates are held over trying to prove to the world that this substance is harmful. In the essay, “Nuclear Waste,” Muller states clearly that he sides with the anti-nuke of the debate and how he pinpoints the facts of nuclear waste with great persuasion. Yet, it is uncertain whether Muller clearly has a good argument and/or answers the questions that many people linger to know.

Since its discovery in the late 19th century, nuclear energy has been used in a diversity of areas such as atomic bombs, medicine, reducing pollution and food irradiation (Gupta, 2012). However, one of the biggest outcomes since this discovery is nuclear energy generation. This subject is largely controversial as it has many pros and cons. It is considered to be a more eco-friendly alternative source of electricity, as it emits less carbon emissions than coal-fired power stations, for example. Yet there still an environmental risk provided by the radio-active waste and its inability to be disposed of for 100,000 years (Phillips, 2012). Today in Australia there are no active nuclear power plants but that is predicted to change in the

The South Australian Government is looking for ways to decrease the unemployment rate within SA and some propose that this could be the answer. Are the jobs opportunities worth the sacrifice of land needed to have a nuclear waste dump? I don’t think so. Increasing the employment rate is good in the short term but, when you take into consideration the health risks, such as cancer, that a nuclear waste site holds for not only the workers but the locals it suddenly becomes unappealing. There’s no point giving them jobs when they’re all going to become terminally ill.

Australia is a lucky country, we have a very small amount of seismic activity, we have masses of uninhabited land, and we have some of the largest deposits of uranium on earth. So this begs the question, why isn’t anyone seriously talking about nuclear power? In Australia the government is throwing millions of dollars into reducing greenhouse emissions, yet all of our power comes from the burning of coal. This is only due to lack of knowledge about radiation and nuclear power as well as over dramatization by the media. By utilizing the energy from the nucleus of uranium Australia would unlock the door to cheaper energy, less pollution, new jobs, and a future of unlimited energy.

Recently, there has been debates on whether or not Australia should result to nuclear energy for some of its energy source. The main issue is to do with the risk when nuclear energy is used. The chance of a nuclear disaster in a nuclear power plant is actually incredibly small, however, if the risk does occur, the consequence is devastating. (Gary Was, 2015). Australia also currently has no nuclear power generators, which is a surprise since it owns about 31% of the world’s uranium resources. (Wikipedia, Last Modified 16 July 2015). Back in February 8th this year, Premier Jay Weatherill, said that there would be a, “mature and robust conversation” about South Australia’s future participation in a nuclear fuel cycle, including the prospects for setting up nuclear power stations, uranium enrichment plants and a nuclear waste dump in the state. (George Lekakis, 2015).

Recently the Environmental minister for Australia, Greg Hunt, fast tracked plans that would mean the sea bed at Abbott point will be dredged with construction reaching the Caley Valley Wetlands, because of this these plans are possible for commencement any time after January 2015. The final decision on this was made regardless of public consultation legalities, primarily due to the plummeting value of coal and un-confirmed economic benefits of financing the mines and port. With the only certified benefit of coal mining in Australia being increased job opportunities for the industry, as according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics the Australian coal mining industry employs 54,900 people full time throughout the country and more than 145,000 people in related employment, this is a 247% increase since recorded 10 years ago. Since this decision a staggering 504,998 signatures collectively between savethereef.org and fightforthereef.org have protested the plans to dredge Abbott Point, a number that would significantly impact the final decision if public consultation protocol was followed by the Australian Government. This reports analysis will investigate the topic though the use of four key questions;

Its price is extremely high and unaffordable for many. We’d be forced to find another way to get rid of the waste which would be again burying and dumping. It brings us back to the danger of keeping the nuclear waste and having it supervised for many tens of thousands of years, according to United States Environmental Protection Agency standards ("Time for Change." Pros and Cons of Nuclear Power). This could go wrong in two ways. As humans, we have to recognize that many times people are clumsy and/or careless. One day something could go wrong while stacking up the nuclear waste or there could be a leaking in the containers that could put everyone working there at risk. These places where nuclear waste is kept, can be terrorist’s main attacking targets ("Nuclear Energy: Pros and

Australia has developed something of an allergic reaction to any mention of uranium or nuclear energy. With fears of its safety and impact on the environment again heightened by the devastating nuclear event that was the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Blessed as we are with abundant reserves of coal, oil and gas, we have never had to ask the hard questions many other nations have had to ask – the answer for which has been ‘nuclear’. Yet with the looming spectre of climate change and greater calls for a shift away from fossil fuels, nuclear power is once again on the agenda. The South Australian government has even called for a royal commission to investigate the plausibility of nuclear power in this country (Wroe).

Nuclear energy is the energy released by a nuclear reaction, it uses fuel made from mined and processed uranium to generate heat and electricity. It is the world’s largest emission free energy source. Nuclear energy also has the lowest impact on the environment than other energy sources. But it can still be very harmful because of the radiation is causes and the radioactive waste it produces. Radioactive wastes are the ruins of nuclear materials that are used in providing nuclear energy. These wastes contain high levels of radiation that can be very hazardous to humans and the environment. Some people accept and support the idea of using nuclear energy and others don’t. In the following paragraphs, some major nuclear accidents and the public acceptance of nuclear energy will be discussed.

Some argue the lack of a permanent, safe storage site for nuclear waste is reason enough to oppose proposals in President Bush's energy plan to speed licensing of new nuclear power plants and extend the operating licenses of existing plants. As Allison Macfarlane, a geologist and senior researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says, "Until we can figure out what to do with the waste, we shouldn't make any more of it (Macfarlane, 2015)." But those who tout the economic and environmental benefits of nuclear energy argue a safe, permanent storage site has already been found and only politics has prevented its opening. Others point to changing methods of nuclear power generation that could ultimately reduce waste

Should we be letting the rest of the world use our backyard as a dump for nuclear waste? South Australia is considering to build a nuclear waste dump which would ultimately hold 13% of the worlds high level nuclear waste. Currently this waste is being held around the world in different locations, i agree this is not a permanent solution but neither is burying it in the ground. I don't agree that we should be building a nuclear waste dump in South Australia but instead putting our time and money towards something more renewable would be a better investment. Nor is it necessary because in thirty years the world will run on renewable energy.

     Nuclear waste is a growing concern in the Untied States and throughout the world today. Even right now as I type this paper Congress is debating as to allow nuclear waste to be stored in Yucca Mountain in Nevada. This debate in Congress will help decide the way that the Untied States deals with nuclear waste issues in the future. Nuclear waste is hazardous to human life. It contains many harmful chemicals that could hurt life. Nuclear waste could even disrupt or genetics and cause mutations in human life forms. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified four

One major unresolved issue arises as the result of using nuclear power: what happens to waste generated in this process. As of right now, the waste is stored on site or in deep geological repositories. However, with what was to be the country’s end all storage site (the Yucca Mountain repository) no longer an option due to recent legislation, long-term storage seems unfeasible. In addition, as more nations move towards reprocessing, there are experts and lawmakers in this country who have been looking into reprocessing the country’s nuclear waste as well. While many experts say that reprocessing is the best solution for freeing the country of the nuclear waste issue, there are others who say that reprocessing is simply too dangerous and

The use of nuclear energy is a big topic for debate. Many countries have fully embraced it while others, such as the U. S., haven’t. Nuclear energy is feared for its danger and scorned because of its wastes. On the other hand, nuclear energy does have some pros like cheaper cost of energy and environmentally safe. Reactor breeders show great promise in nuclear waste, but are it enough to convince the nation?