Free «Nuclear Energy» Essay Sample

At the end of the 20th century, the problem of search for alternative energy sources became very urgent. Despite the fact that the planet Earth is rich in natural resources such as oil, coal, wood, etc., all these riches, unfortunately, are exhaustible. In addition, the needs of humanity are increasing every day, and there emerged an urgent necessity to look for newer and more advanced energy sources. During a long time, mankind used different alternative energy sources, but the real breakthrough in the history of energy has been the emergence of nuclear power. Atomic theory had come a long way before people learned how to use it for their purposes. Now the society salutes the discovery of the internal nature of nuclear energy admiring its power and the possibilities it offers. Nevertheless, although it is impossible to imagine modern industry and technological development without nuclear power, its use should be considered as unnecessary and excessive.

Apparently, only industrialized countries need nuclear power. It means that the primary use of peaceful nuclear energy is mainly concentrated in objects such as plants, industrial enterprises, etc. In addition, nuclear energy is used for producing electricity and heat. Energy consuming objects, which are situated far from sources of cheap electricity (such as hydroelectric power plants), use nuclear stations to ensure the correct work of their internal processes. However, agricultural regions and cities do not need nuclear energy for now. It is quite possible to replace it with water power plants and other alternative sources. Therefore, it turns out that production and use of nuclear energy is mostly aimed at meeting people’s needs in industrial products: automotive, military production, metallurgy, chemical industry, oil and gas, etc. People want to drive new cars, dress in fashionable synthetics, eat delicious food from chemical colored packages. All of us want new phones, televisions, computers, as well as different equipment.

Utilization of products and services, as well as all industrial processes, requires much energy. Therefore, as it has been estimated, nuclear power is the cheapest one. However, one point has not been taken into consideration in this endeavor: the use of nuclear energy causes environmental pollution. The damage being already caused and is going to is difficult to underestimate. This problem relates to the fact that while people use energy of the atomic nucleus, the planet receives enormous amounts of hot waste that cannot be easily recycled. It has to be transported, buried and kept in long-term waste storage sites. It is a very long and expensive process. Moreover, not all the industries adhere to the environment friendly policies that, they preferring to concentrate on profits. Therefore, the cheapest is not always the best.

Without a doubt, the pros of nuclear energy are what the humanity has been accustomed to. As for the cons, it is a perspective of imminent death in case of the collapse of the plants, resources exhaustion, growth of population and degradation of arable land (Rowell 576) are being the aspects that humanity prefers to ignore. Nuclear power can be replaced with more environmentally friendly sources of energy, even if people have to reduce the use of goods produced with the help of nuclear energy.

It is a well-known fact that the nuclear power is important in medicine. It allows doctors to examine almost all human organ systems. It is used in neurology, cardiology, oncology, endocrinology, pulmonology and other branches of medicine. Nuclear medicine helps to investigate the blood supply, the bile metabolism, the kidneys, bladder, the thyroid gland. In nuclear medicine, specialists may not only receive still images but also overlay images obtained at different times to study dynamics. For example, this technique is applied in assessing cardiac performance in patients. On the other hand, undue nuclear power influence on man's health can destroy organisms and finally lead to death. It reduces the reproductive function, affects the immune system, and other important functions of the human body.

Almost 28 years have passed since the terrible event of the Chernobyl catastrophe that plunged into shock the whole world. The consequences of that disaster could be noticed in the first few months after the explosion. People living near the nearby regions died from hemorrhage and apoplexy. The liquidators suffered from malignant tumors and the destruction of the hematopoietic system and finally died. The influence on people not only from the affected territories, but from the entire country and even the neighboring ones is seen until now. –The victims suffer from many diseases, including cancer and disorders of the nervous and endocrine systems. The Chernobyl disaster effects on people's health will last a long time more. Therefore, there are persistent concerns regarding the usefulness of nuclear energy causing heated debates in regard to its safety and reliability.

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Ultimately, coal and oil, as well as uranium-plutonium, in the long term should give way to more reliable and environmentally friendly energy technologies, and scientists should devote their future projects and research to the development of new, alternative sources. In fact, further predatory burning of fossil fuels may and more likely will lead to an environmental disaster, the consequences of which will be unpredictable for life on earth.

Thus, a comparison of the pros and cons of nuclear power use provides almost obvious answer: nuclear energy is not the future of the civilization. Certainly, it is an inevitable stage on humanity’s way to progress and development, being a major contribution to the global energy system. However, the ongoing studies state that alternative energy sources do not have the same grave disadvantages as nuclear energy has. Anti-nuclear movement in different countries takes an unequivocal position: cons of nuclear power are many times greater than the benefits received. Thus, the construction of nuclear power stations and production of nuclear waste must be stopped. In my point of view, people have to replace the use of this particular energy as it is unnecessary and excessive. The planet’s health is be in danger, and if we continue to pollute the environment, do harm to our bodies, and let the industrialized countries develop the dangerous weapon of mass destruction, the future existence of the world as we know will be in risk.