Ethics in Nuclear Energy - Research Paper Example

Ethics in Technology: Nuclear Energy Ethics in nuclear energy Since nuclear energy was discovered, it has found a number of uses both in weaponry and in the production of energy for domestic as well as industrial use. The ethical issues around the use of nuclear power continue to be debated by so many people. The use of nuclear weapons is one issue with its many controversies; however, this paper will look at the ethical issues in the use of nuclear technology to provide for power for domestic and industrial use. There are those who feel that the use of nuclear energy is too risky for human kind. Others argue that the risks are not so high as to forbid the use of nuclear energy. The debate about how safe the use of nuclear energy is can be a complicated one, especially considering that there have been arguments that a lot of information about the truth behind the use of nuclear energy has been hidden from the public as well as from the many officials who matter. Regardless of where one stands, the history of nuclear energy has well indicates that there are numerous ethical issues to be taken to consideration. The bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Chernobyl power plant accident, the Japan power plant accidents and many other issues indicate that the use of nuclear power is not as safe as many stakeholders in the sector would like the public to think (Jonathan 31). Those who have opposed the use of nuclear power have argued that the cost of using nuclear energy has much more social costs in terms of how it affects the surroundings and the health of people. These costs are said to be both long term and short term. These fears and worries about the risk of nuclear power are not unfounded. There are some very good and unfortunate examples which must be taken into consideration with regard to the use of nuclear energy. One such example is the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The residual of harmful nuclear waste dust was released into the environment from the Chernobyl accident is said to be still in the environment causing damage (Xiang and Zhu, 2-11). Another unlucky event with nuclear accident is the nuclear accidents in Japan caused by the 2012 Tsunami. The effects of the Nagasaki bombings at the brim of the Second World War whose effects are still felt even today are also another example that indicates how nuclear energy can be harmful. In this regard, the potential of harm from the nuclear energy is known the world over. Some of the issues with nuclear energy ethics is the nuclear accidents most of which are caused by careless professionals. Nuclear accidents Nuclear accidents are accidents unlike any other (Flanagan, para 4). The effects of nuclear accident are not just the physical ones but go beyond to affect even the genetic and physiological aspects of human and animals. Unlike other accidents such as car crashes, the burning of a building etc, nuclear accidents releases highly toxic material into environment. These toxic materials can continue to affect many people even after years past. Disposing the nuclear waste Nuclear emery is one of the dirtiest energy so to speak. Every ton of nuclear materials used to make nuclear energy produce to a massive load of radioactive material which can stay active for hundreds of years. These materials have radioactive capabilities which can radiate radioactive material very far. In this regard, after the use of the radioactive raw materials, one of the main issues is how to safely dispose these materials. The cost of disposing these materials safely is so high that to most cases, it is feared that those involved don’t follow the right procedures of disposing these materials. One of the ways to dispose these materials is by burying them in deep sea, beneath the ocean flow in order to protect marine life. This process is very expensive and it has been feared that there has always been a lapse in the way these radioactive waste is disposed, putting to risk not only marine life but also human live. There are other conspiracy theories about developed countries using poor nations to dispose these materials. Although this is not a confirmed fact, it nonetheless remains a major ethical issue. What everyone can agree is that the high cost of safely disposing these materials may pose ethical issues because some participants may decide to have a shortcut around the agreed standards. As poorer and more corrupt nations especially in Africa start taking up nuclear energy as a way to produce energy both for industrial and domestic use, ethical issues surrounding disposal of radioactive material from the nuclear power plants will remain a challenge. Ethical responsibilities Ensuring safe nuclear power stations Stakeholder in this industry must be able to guarantee that they will only operate safe nuclear power stations in order to guarantee that there are not risks of accidents. As has already been pointed out, most accidents which involve nuclear power plants are usually as a result of the operations of unsafe power plants. By building power plants that adhere to the high global standards for the operations of nuclear power plants; this will help in making sure that there are no unnecessary accidents. Exposing the truth to the people about the issues It is believed that even as the debate on how ethical the use of nuclear energy goes on, there is a lot of information about the use of nuclear power that is being hidden. For instance, while most people discuss the issue of economics with regard to use of nuclear power, most of them fail to discuss the issues associated with ethics (Abrecht 49). Most professionals base their arguments on the economics pros and cons of using nuclear energy and refrain from the ethics issues. This is very dangerous because the main debate should be about how ethical it is about using the power. Even if it was economically viable to use nuclear energy, there are so many ethical issues which would have to be considered. Those involved in the production of nuclear power have the ethical responsibly to not only inform but to also educate the people about the dangers associated in the use of this kind of power. Those who will lose the most if something goes wrong such as in the Chernobyl case, have the right to know what is at stake and what they stand. This would mean that the public should be able to know whether they want to be involved in the use of nuclear power production or not. It is however crucial to ascertain that educating and involving the public about the dangers and risks of nuclear power production would lead to more complications as most of them would reject the idea. At the same time, this must not be used to belittle the ethical responsibility of making this information available to the public. Not going around the rules Nuclear energy can only be safe if and only if the rules of engagement are thoroughly and perfectly followed. Those who are stakeholders of the industry must be able to ensure this and make sure that whether they are at the operational or executive level, these rules and standards are well observed. Accidents such as the Chernobyl accident were cause by the careless mistake of going around the rules of operations. The orders to bypass the rules and standards of security in the nuclear plant actually came from a supervisor and the junior officers had to comply with these orders regardless of the fact that they were highly risky. There is a high need to make sure that the rules are taken seriously. Dealing with such ethical situation such as having to execute a careless order from a senior can be a hard task for most junior employees. However, every person must have a liberty to be able to execute their moral persuasions, especially where the rules of ethical behavior are so clear. Disposing the materials in a proper way, regardless of cost Participants in this industry must be able to know that the operation of nuclear power plants will need careful attention to the toxic waste from the plant. Again, in this area there is a need to make sure what the procedures are placed which guide how safe this should be. Not doing this can lead to very serious consequences. Conclusion While the use of nuclear power has its advantages, it is clear that there are many ethical issues surrounding it. These ethical issues must be properly addressed in order to make sure that the use of nuclear energy is safe and sustainable. There is also a need to make sure that all the information about nuclear energy is made public. At the same time, the public would need to be involved and educated about the use of nuclear material as a source of power. Once it has been made sure that there is enough security measures to make the use of nuclear energy safe and sustainable, it can then be used. Works cited: Abrecht, Paul. "Public Acceptance of Nuclear Power - Some Ethical Issues." Iaea Bulletin 19. 6 (2008): 48-58. Print. Flanagan, Kevin. Ethical Considerations for the Use of Nuclear Energy. 25 April 2013. 04 April 2014 . Jonathan, M.G. "Understanding the Global Nuclear Power Grid." Journal of Ethical Management 34 (2009): PP. 29-35. Xiang, Hui and and Zhu, Yi. "The Ethics Issues of Nuclear Energy: Hard Lessons Learned from Chernobyl and Fukushima." Online Journal of Health Ethics 7.2 (2011): 2-11. Read More