Nuclear Energy - Research Paper Example

of Learning: NUCLEAR ENERGY Introduction Nuclear energy can be simply defined as energy gotten fromthe atom’s nucleolus unlike most of the other forms of energy that are normally released in the process of chemical reactions that originate from the electrons found around the nucleus. The splitting for the first time of an atom to release nuclear energy ushered a new regime of economic, political and social debate of the humankind history. This discovery brought with it the chance for humanity to grab the intricacies that the nuclear age came with it. This was a major discovery in the energy sector as the fossil fuels that were commonly used in the past offered a limited energy source now that they were non-renewable. What followed was a struggle with the nuclear energy dichotomy and appreciating the drawbacks and benefits associated with this type of energy. What still remains a puzzle is whether nuclear energy has more benefits to mankind compared to its disadvantages. This research paper will focus on the benefits, drawbacks and safety use of nuclear energy. Peaceful Use The process of generating nuclear energy is believed to be the cleanest of all processes causing the least impact on the environment. This follows the fact that the nuclear plants do not emit harmful gases like nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide to the environment. This makes nuclear energy emission free energy that does not affect water, air and land resources. Nuclear energy is used in radiation and isotopes techniques mostly in agriculture. Nuclear energy is also used in human health for the treatment of cancer by radiotherapy application. Gamma emissions on the other hand are applied in the sterilization of supplies in medicine such as bandages, cotton and gloves used for burn dressing and surgery. Radioisotopes are actively used in the tracing of pollutants that are found in air as they easily trace the residue thus ensuring safe and healthy environment. The process of decaying of the radioisotopes leads to the emission of large amounts of energy that can be applied in controlling the heart pacemaker (Rutherford 67) Advantages Nuclear reactions release much more energy in comparison with wind or hydro energy thus can be used in the generations of large amounts of electricity. Nuclear energy remains the most preferred sources of energy as it does not release any greenhouse gasses like ozone and methane hence safe to both environment and human health. Nuclear weapons have also been observed to use minimum fuel as it makes use of small amounts of uranium which exist in high reserves on the earth surface and will be available for more than 100 years to come. Nuclear reactions do not lead to the release of harmful gases to the environment such as carbon-dioxide Large amounts of energy can be released from one nuclear power plant thus making it economical as it limits the amount of space and resources used Nuclear fuel is easier to transport and inexpensive making it economical (Soddy 14). Disadvantages Nuclear energy can be used in the proliferation and production of nuclear weapons and such weapons have been used by super powers to dictate, cause tension and cause massive destructions and killings in different countries. It requires large amounts of capital to produce the needed amount of energy from a nuclear plant making the process quite expensive thus affordable to selected nations and firms. The waste that comes from the fission reactions are highly radioactive and contains unstable elements that are harmful to the environment and human health making the energy hazardous despite the benefits associated with it(Soddy 20). Efficiency of Nuclear Energy Most of the energy gained, approximately 85%, from the nuclear fission process in the products kinetic energy. As solid fuel, particles are only able to travel for very short distances. This means that kinetic energy is therefore converted to heat following the knocking of the particles against each other. The remaining 15% of the gained energy is from the emitted Gamma rays as a result of the fission process and from the kinetic energy of the released neutrons (Clary 27). The reason behind the large energy amounts releases is that the forces behind the nuclear reactions are greater compared to those taking part in chemical reactions. The process of nuclear fission is a source of energy that is very sufficient and efficient following its low amounts of waste products. The combustion of fossil fuels results in waste products like toxic fumes and ash. Such products reduce the usable energy that results from the reaction thus lowering its efficiency. Environmental Costs Despite the benefits associated with nuclear energy, there are many claims that this type of energy has several negative environmental costs that are considered not sustained for a long term. This has resulted to several environmental measures like the Kyoto Protocol to be drawn. This are attempts to reduce the negative impacts associated with nuclear energy on the environment. It can also be looked at as global trend recognizing the nuclear age costs which will never stop catching up with humanity. In addition to this, there have been concerns with regards to nuclear energy and nuclear weapon storage. Many cases have been reported in relation to security, environmental and safety impact facing the nuclear industry. The high radioactivity levels are dangerous to the health of human kind making the safety at the nuclear reactors and plants vital (Fairlamb 58). Nuclear Power Nuclear weapons such as the hydrogen bomb, atom bomb and the neutron bomb have given world’s superpowers the ability and power to destroy anything at anytime of their choice. Some of the great wars associated with nuclear weapons include the Cold War that involved the communist East and the democratic West (Fairlamb 59). This is a negative aspect that has been associated with nuclear age despite the many benefits of nuclear energy. Conclusion The dangers that have been associated with nuclear energy like weapons of mass destruction as well as possible reactor meltdown and nuclear leaks have resulted to some of the people getting uneasy about nuclear energy. This comes as a contradiction to the impact the nuclear energy has had to the world. This makes it extremely hard to decide if nuclear energy should be considered as being entirely bad or good. This follows the inherent dangers associated with the use of nuclear energy that have mirror the dangers early linked with other innovations and inventions which changed the shape of the society like air travel and automobile (Fairlamb 53). Such means of transport pose very high risks to the users. Despite the above position by many, there are still many benefits which make it has to judge if the automobile was bad or good. The above argument can be applied to the nuclear energy uses in our current society. The realistic benefits of nuclear energy have been identified. If the society was still using coal and other sources as the main sources of energy, with the current exponential population, the world could have as well run short of energy. This leaves nuclear energy as a valuable source of energy and that it has brought more benefits to humanity as compared to its drawbacks. Works Cited Clary, Edmund. Atomic Energy. New York: Clary, 2000 Fairlamb, James. Nuclear Survival Manual. Butler: Drexel Winslow & Farrington, 2000. Rutherford, Ernest. Radio-Activity. Cambridge: University Press, 2004 Soddy, Fredrick. Radioactivity and Atomic Theory. London: Taylors & Francis, 2000 Soddy, Fredrick. The Chemistry of the Radio-Elements. London: Longmans, 2000 Read More