The Use of Nuclear Energy - Essay Example

Nuclear Power Introduction Nuclear power refers to the use of nuclear fission to generate energy. Currently several countries including Japan and the united states of America use nuclear in generating electricity among other basic forms of power. Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear energy is a clean form of energy that does not contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer. Nuclear energy comes from the chemical reaction of different highly volatile chemicals often resulting in the production of heat and water, some such as anti-matter reacts with any form of matter including the oxygen to result in absolutely nothing. Several countries have presented diverging views on the use of nuclear energy owing to its volatile nature. Nuclear energy is the single most powerful source of energy with the ability of powering the entire world effortlessly (Gibson 23). The discovery of the nuclear energy therefore presents both advantages and disadvantages in equal measure. During the debates, the proponents of the continued use of the nuclear energy based their argument on the ability of the energy source to single handedly replace all other sources of energy thereby saving the world economy. While their argument sounded realistic, such people failed to consider the numerous disadvantages of the use of nuclear energy. Liberal debates give both sides to a discussion thereby determining the winning side based on the number of points that each side earns. The most realistic argument therefore is the immediate abolition of any nuclear related activity. Nuclear has greater potential than any country can possibly manage. This therefore makes the world unsafe; some of the arguments to this effect are below. The ongoing debate globally is the climatic change and the effects of global warming. All these are results of pollution of the atmosphere arising from the increasing use of fossil energy that produce a lot of carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas that reacts extensively with the ozone layer thereby depleting it. The invention of the nuclear energy therefore presents an opportunity of overturning the events preceding the depletion of the ozone layer possibly resulting in a safer and more stable world. The fact that the world consumes billions of gallons of petroleum products daily equals the extensive nature of the pollution of the environment thereby making the world increasingly unsafe. Several international environmental bodies such as the Kyoto protocol have tried convincing different countries to emit more carbon monoxide gasses into the environment. A debate that the developed countries such as the United States of America, Japan and China strongly oppose owing to the fact that such policies may hamper their economies. Nuclear energy is clean and renewable implying that it is not possibly exhaustible. It is therefore the only single source energy capable of sustaining the world’s economies while still maintaining the clean healthy environment. Despite the evident advantages of the use of nuclear energy, its use still requires extensive regulation even possible abolition. The widespread lack of trust makes no country safe enough to use nuclear energy. Nuclear is highly unstable yet with great potential, this implies that it requires greater capital for installation and maintenance in order to develop a safer environment for its effective use. Exposure of the nuclear elements in the environment results in immediate reaction to the elements in the environment thereby resulting in mass destruction and loss of lives. Japan, which is the most developed country in the eastern bloc, had all the financial resources to safeguard the use of nuclear as a source of energy (Adams 12). The country took every precaution including the development of an underground laboratory from where the volatile they handled the instable substance. However, the country did not consider the possibility of a natural disaster such as an earthquake. The earthquake that shook the ocean bed therefore broke the tanks in which they had stored the elements resulting in thousands of death coupled with the destruction of property. This implies that no country is therefore safe with the substance. Unlike oil or any other fossil fuel that pollutes the environment when exposed, the nuclear substances result in reactions and explosions possibly killing people. The United States of America, which is the strongest economy in the world, have a great population and experiences some of the worst hurricanes and earthquakes. This therefore makes the country unprepared to use such dangerous chemicals in the production of energy. Another debatable issue on the use of nuclear energy is the possible creation of nuclear weapons. Several countries are politically unstable currently especially in the Middle East, this makes it more tempting for such countries to manufacture nuclear weapons in readiness of any war. Nuclear energy has greater potential and unlike other forms of controllable bombs, it is more difficult to regulate the extent of a nuclear weapon. Its release into the environment instantly sparks off a series of reactions resulting in extensive destructions and deaths. The world cannot afford the loss of millions of civilians, governments often try to protect their civilians from the effects of wars but with the use of nuclear energy such endeavors become impossible. Such countries as Iran, which are in a constant state of squabbles with Israel and other neighboring states, have often tried to convince the world that it can conveniently use nuclear purposely in the production of energy. Nevertheless, the grudge between the two countries may possibly prompt either party to launch a nuclear missile in the other thereby causing the death of millions of people. The world therefore continues to resist such endeavors. Additionally, nuclear energy enables the manufacture of such high tech weapons as gas bombs, which infiltrate every region regardless of the boundaries. This implies that the launch of such a missile in any part of the world may possibly result in the termination of the entire universe since the atmosphere has not mechanism of cleaning such poisonous gases (Bodansky 43). The use of nuclear energy requires extensive development of the security apparatus in every country to monitor the activities of the citizens. The world continues to witnesses increased terrorist activities including the recent Boston bombing which targeted an international event with citizens from different countries all over the world. Such acts make the world unsafe and without developed police and intelligence in every country in the world, such criminal gangs as the Al-Qaida may possible manufacture nuclear weapons and use them against unsuspecting countries thereby resulting in global disasters. Currently, no country including the United States of America has the capacity to monitor the activities of its citizens and the increasing number of immigrants, factors that contribute to make the world less safe. The only universal means of creating a peaceful society is the abolition of the use of nuclear energy. Works cited Adams, Troon H. Nuclear Energy: Power from the Atom. St. Catharines, Ont: Crabtree Pub. Co, 2010. Print. Bodansky, David. Nuclear Energy: Principles, Practices, and Prospects. New York: Springer, 2004. Internet resource. Gibson, Diane. Nuclear Power. North Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2005. Print. Read More