Introduction
Nuclear power plant is the best source of electric energy in the world. This source should be exploited and more stations be built to ensure energy security. This is good news to the technologically advancing world. However this sends cold shivers to another group of professionals in the environment fraternity. The cause for this alarm is the hazardous and dangerous nature of nuclear energy in the world. This is the paradox. It leaves a big debate to be settled.
It is true that energy deficit is been felt throughout the world. This brings a necessity to have a mega energy source of energy of which nuclear plants are the best. Environmentalists have it in record that many disasters have been registered in the world as a result of venturing in nuclear plants. These range from radiation leakages which propagate cancer infections and gene mutation among others (Tomasi, F.2004). The issue of interest to environmentalists in this paradox is safety from radiation and wars especially the use of nuclear weapons to fight. This choice on nuclear is made because of many reasons. The chief reason is supply of energy.
The current world is expanding and stable energy is required to sustain all the developments. To make matters worse, experts have warned that oil and gas fuel will soon get depleted. Another reason is the need for efficient and lasting source of energy. Most of the comparison with other energy sources, confirm that nuclear is by far better than all the other energy sources like solar, biogas, wind and hydro electricity.
Discussion
Uranium is the main chemical component that is used in these plants. From chemistry, this element is highly radioactive. This poses danger, not only to the nuclear workers but also to the whole world. Scientists however have good news. It is said that radioactive exposure received from a normally operating nuclear station is very negligible that cannot harm anybody. This is further explained that no radioactive materials find their way out of the reactor. The most exposed members of the public obtain radioactive doses of less than 100 millirem (Anyuola, L.2001). This quantity has a capacity of infecting only one person every century!
Nuclear reactor sites greatly attract lightening. This is another danger of having nuclear. Lightening arrestors have been upgraded in these sites for sufficient safety. Waste management is a key area of concern in nuclear. Remains from a nuclear reactor are considered radioactive in themselves. They pose danger both to this current generation and even the future people. This waste mainly comes from the spent fuel. Scientists have come up with a remedy in which wastes are placed in thick walled rugged containers.
These canisters are then placed are then disposed into very deep underground depository zones. These depositories are finally sealed with time and no more access can be possible. This means that they are safe finally. Al these give more reasons why nuclear form of energy should be invested in because most of the dangers are dealt with. Skeptics have idealized that the underground deposits could soon find their way into wells and rivers. This is still a narrow amount to cause cancer. Further more the danger can be reduced by placing more scattered depositories in far away lands.
Nuclear plants have an extra contribution to the environmental purity of the world. The use of nuclear will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the world. Fossil fuels like oils and natural gas give out four times the amount of carbon dioxide as these fuels give. Using nuclear in this respect therefore helps to control the level of this dangerous gas which is also responsible for stimulating floods in the arctic.
Deadly weapons can be manufactured using nuclear energy. Most nuclear energy in the world has been manufactured from plants originally planned for weapons. It is true that a country with an original intension of energy production may be tempted to manufacture weapons from the readily available resources. However this has rarely been witnessed because treaties have been signed and they are binding. Another danger that is associated with nuclear plants is terrorism. This has occurred whereby a terror group invades a plant and threatens to corrupt the processes or make bombs from them. Government security forces have however come in to guard these premises in high alert.
The amount of energy that is obtained from nuclear plants is quite large compared to other conventional sources of energy (Anyuola, L. 2001). this is an advantage because other sources like wind mills, solar can take very large space and logistics to produce an equivalent amount of energy. The energy used in the world today is mainly fossil in nature, originating from few countries. The deposits are also in the verge of depletion in the next half a century. The renewable sources like sun, wind and hydro electricity also have very small energy levels. Studies show that only nuclear energy can supply mega energy and still remain with a large life span to produce.
Bio-fuel also falls in the same trap of short life span. Indeed the benefits obtained from using nuclear are uncountable. The only way forward is to create awareness to the world inhabitants so that people can have a positive mentality upon which success would be built. No one would be scared that Nuclear is dangerous. Necessary rules and policies must also be formulated to help in enhancing care against any accidents.
Reference
Tomasi, F. Natural resource management in the 21st century. Bombay: Gfinns and sons Inc. 2004.
Anyuola, L. nuclear energy and the environment. New York: Oxford foundation. 2001.