Essay The United States Must Abandon Nuclear Power

Despite the fact the countries continue to increase the production of nuclear energy, my position is that new nuclear power plants should not continue to be built. The current use of nuclear power should be carefully evaluated with a plan to slowly decrease production throughout the world. The negative implications to the environment and economy support my position.

There are many power sources that can be utilized for our everyday lives; to heat our homes , run our toasters, and light our hallways. Most of that power either directly or indirectly comes form the sun(such as solar energy and fossil fuels). But one energy source that derived by the pure ingenuity of man is nuclear power. As with all power sources there are positive and negative externalities. For example: the burning of fossil fuel releases SOX and NOX into the air which can cause harm to the health of humans ie. negative externality. But what is the the environmental effect of using nuclear energy? What is the cost of extracting all this energy from so little?

Nuclear Energy has many proponents and much opposition. Many of the groups that oppose nuclear power have legitimate concerns, mainly with the dangers of nuclear material in relation with human health concerns and environmental troubles that are risked by allowing nuclear power plants to increase in number. Yet, many of these opposition groups have made outspoken and radical claims about the “hidden” motives of why nuclear power is promoted and subsidized by our federal government. For example, The Nuclear Information and Resource Service claim that the federal government has the intention of committing genocide against Native Americans because uranium mining is predominantly done on reservations. Another cry out by nuclear

“A tiny speck of plutonium-239, as little as three millionths of a gram, can cause lung cancer. One pound of plutonium-239 contains enough specks to kill nine billion people instantly” (Pringle 26). Plutonium-239 is a human-made element, also known as the most dangerous substance on earth. As a by-product of uranium fission, plutonium-239 is created by generating electricity from nuclear sources. Contrary to popular belief, nuclear energy is hazardous and threatening to health. The use of nuclear energy should be banned as evidenced by the number of accidents, health effects, and global impact.

The disastrous meltdowns that cause whole cities to become uninhabitable, as well as leaving families homeless and laborers without jobs, have defined the negative perspective of what people see in nuclear power. However, even after such catastrophes, the pure raw energy output makes nuclear power essential for the future of the human race. As time passes, the world’s energy usage has grown an increasingly massive size every year due to the consumption swell of energy. Despite nuclear plants being a heavily controversial topic internationally, its advantages are very well recognized and it’s causing nuclear plants to slowly become the basis of our growing society.

Dwight Eisenhower launched the Atoms for Peace initiative in 1953 with a bold declaration: “the atom stands ready to become man’s obedient, tireless servant, if man will only allow it” (Joppke 709). After a frenzied ride on the coattails of the development of the atomic bomb, nuclear power was poised as the technology of the future, human ingenuity powering growth in a new era. Half a century and a few oil wars later, the United States stands proud as a first-world bastion of antinuclear sentiment. This swing in public opinion, effected by the accident at Three Mile Island, debates over nuclear-arms proliferation, and concerns over nuclear waste storage, has left nuclear power at an uncertain

Nuclear energy has been used since 1895 to create weapons that could destroy men by the millions. Scientists later transformed this destructive weapon into a new form of usable, renewable energy. Nuclear energy is energy created by harnessing the energy produced by the nuclear reactions that take place inside the nucleus of the Uranium Isotope 235, ("Nuclear Energy"). Nuclear energy is one attempt to decrease the rate at which nonrenewable fossil fuels are being consumed. Some believe nuclear energy to be an environmentally friendly and self sustaining way to produce energy; however, there are a countless number of social and economically risks to consider; ultimately, the detrimental effects power plant leaks and explosions have on the human body, the cost it takes to produce the plants, and the production of nuclear waste, should be enough to persuade one to turn away from using nuclear energy as a source of power.

The history behind nuclear energy runs all the way back to 1930. This is when all of the research started, and scientists discovered there were two parts of an atom; a proton and neutron, which made up the majority of the mass of the atom. However, it wasn’t until eight years later that the tree German scientists Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner, and Fritz strassman, discovered they could split a uranium atom by overloading it with neurons. In 1942, Enrico Fermi of Italy noticed the fission of the uranium atom gave off more neutrons, which in return split other uranium atoms, starting a chain reaction. This science was used to create the atomic bomb, which made the Japanese surrender in World War II. This was the first use of nuclear fission. It was later used to make energy in the first ever power

The world as we know today is dependent on energy. The options we have currently enable us to produce energy economically but at a cost to the environment. As fossil fuel source will be diminishing over time, other alternatives will be needed. An alternative that is presently utilized is nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is currently the most efficacious energy source. Every time the word ‘nuclear’ is mentioned, the first thought that people have is the devastating effects of nuclear energy. Granting it does come with its drawbacks; this form of energy emits far less pollution than conventional power plants. Even though certain disadvantages of nuclear energy are devastating, the advantages contain even greater rewards.

On and off, could it be that simple? Energy is there whenever we need it, so we think. It’s not as simple as turning the light switch, replacing light bulbs, and paying the electric bills. Our energy today is made mostly from coal, natural gas, oil, wind, solar, and nuclear. With depleting natural resources, we must begin to consider what will power our future. Although there are many challenges yet to be encountered and technology yet to be discovered, many say nuclear energy is becoming a major part of our future. However, nuclear meltdowns and disasters have many people and scientists questioning the possibility of having a nuclear powered world. What are the concerns and positive aspects of nuclear energy today? Could

Just five pounds of plutonium, a component of nuclear waste, is enough to make a

Alternatives to oil, along with the other fossil fuels, have been gaining popularity in the wake of high prices and elevated awareness of global warming. While solar, wind, hydro, and even geothermal have been getting press about being the means to lower CO2 production, and become less dependent on foreign oil, there is an alternative that rarely is mentioned. The mere reference of nuclear power conjures images of meltdowns and mushroom clouds. Despite the advances in efficiency, safety, and technology, public opinion has changed little since the years of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. It is this misguided sense of impending doom from nuclear power that has deterred much of the population from accepting it as a viable alternative to

There is a great depth of curiosity in traversing the unknown, in embarking on journeys where the discoveries far outweigh your greatest expectations. In terms of nuclear power, the journey is still ensuing. Has progress been made? Yes. Have policies been formulated? Yes. Has a vast deal of information been researched? Yes.

Imagine, if you will, that you are the title character in the book "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes," a young Japanese girl suffering from the devastating "atom bomb sickness." Sadako was a vivacious eleven-year-old with dreams of becoming a track star. Sadly, that ended when doctors diagnosed her with leukemia, An atom bomb had been dropped over her hometown of Hiroshima during W.W. II, poisoning her with its radiation.

Nuclear energy has been around longer than people think. In 1934 Physicist Enrico Fermi experiments in Rome showing that Neutrons can split many kind s of atoms. In 1946 the Atomic Energy Commission was created to explore peaceful uses of energy and nuclear energy development. In 1951 an experimental Breeder reactor produced the first electric power from nuclear energy in