Burns 1

Kent Burns

Mrs.Barnes

English 112

19 May 2017

Nuclear Energy, The Future of Humanity

A man holds something in his hand. He refuses to say what it is, but speaks only of what

it can do, and has done. He speaks of how it is the solution to global warming, how it can reduce

the price of electricity, and open up thousands of jobs. He speaks also of how it has ended the

lives of thousands, single handedly terrified the world, and nearly brought about the sames

destruction. What this man speaks of, can be only one thing: Nuclear Energy. While nuclear

energy can be used as a tool for destruction, it is also mankinds most simple way of accessing

its future utopia; and must be used with the proper amount of safety protocols.

For years, nuclear energy has been regarded by the the general public as a dangerous,

unfit option as a solution to the energy crisis. They acknowledge that world desperately needs to

stop pumping greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, but upon being asked for a solution, they

state something along the lines of; more research into renewable energy. In a recent research

survey taken among random adults, when asked the question Do you believe that the burning of

fossil fuels is an issue, 100% of those surveyed admit that it is indeed in need of remedy.

However, when also asked whether or not nuclear could be a solution to this issue, less than half

of those polled believe that it could. So what happened here? Nuclear energy is demonized by

politicians who want only to push the energy issue off to the next guy and get themselves
 Burns 2

re-elected, very few do anything other than talk of it's worst accidents. So, what of those

accidents?

Everyone has heard of Chernobyl, it is brought up in every paper speaking of nuclear

research, and for good reason. People must never forget the mistakes of the past, lest they repeat

them. So, what was Chernobyl? Chernobyl was a full scale nuclear meltdown. (Gale) The reactor

core -which works by triggering small nuclear reactions in a contained environment- got out of

control and exploded, releasing billions of tiny radioactive particles into the atmosphere and

forcing 130,000 people to evacuate. The area where the dust settled will be uninhabitable for

another 900 years, the superheated fires from the explosion burned for 16 days, and more than

600,000 thousand people were contaminated with high levels of radiation. It has caused nearly

9000 deaths, and is suspected for many more. This is the story often told, but what it does not

mention, is the series of human flaws that went into this disaster. The Chernobyl power plant was

built with many proper safety precautions out of mind. It had a poor, unreviewed design; it

lacked a reinforced dome to protect against such an explosion, like American reactors. And it

was crudely maintained; its workers reported having little to no safety training in how to handle

the situation. Before these things, at the infamous Three Mile Island meltdown, because of the

thoughtful design and careful training of the workers, a similar disaster was completely

sidestepped. And designs, training and technology have only gotten better since then. Michael A.

Zupan at the UW Thermal Hydraulics Laboratory said this on the subject. The NRC went

through and checked to make sure no such flaws were present in U.S. reactors- there were none.

So, in the future, there is a higher chance you'll be killed by a porcupine four times in the same
 Burns 3

day than there being a nuclear safety issue in the U.S. (Zupan, Michael. Personal Interview.

Feb. 27 2017)

So what of Nuclear's future? That, is up to human society. Nuclear energy holds the

potential to stop global warming and the pollution of the environment. While it does produce

dangerous waste, science has not slacked in it's quest for dealing with it, and tools such as

vitrification and have made the storage of nuclear waste far safer than it once was. However,

soon enough, even this might not be an issue. The current sole use of nuclear is in the form of

fission, the splitting of unstable atoms of uranium and plutonium. However, due to the nature of

these elements, these reactions are inefficient. And not only has there been better materials found

to use in fission, but studies are showing that a new option: fusion, could be here within 15 years.

Fusion is the opposite of fission, while fission separates those heavy atoms, releasing energy and

radiation. Fusion combines any elements, releasing only energy. Meaning no toxic waste to stick

in a pit and worry about. Plus, Fusion can be performed with any elements, including the most

abundant material on the planet: Water, salt water, even. And maybe most important, a fusion

reactors fuel can never be modified and weaponized for a third world dictators use. All that holds

back is more research. Currently, there are fusion reactors in existence. They require more

energy input than output, but the technology is improving. To reach fusion, the superheated

plasma must reach roughly 100 million degrees. Scientists have been able to surpass this, but

only for short periods of time. But they are learning, and soon there could be an almost limitless

source of clean energy.

So, in conclusion. Nuclear Energy has been dismissed by many as an unsuitable solution

to the energy and pollution crisis now facing the globe. But it is however, not only viable, but
 Burns 4

quite possibly able to surpass what is expected of it. A world free of pollution would be

healthier, and without the cost problem of electricity, more people would be able to live normal

lives, boosting the world economy and market. All of this, intrinsically tied to a the search for a

single solution, that already lies in humanitys discard pile. Nuclear energy might be dangerous,

but if it is used properly, it will change the world for the better, and usher in an era of peace that

the world has never seen before.

 Burns 5

Works Cited

"Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident." Global Issues in Context Online Collection, Gale,

2016. Global Issues in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CP3208520203/GIC?

u=mass12242&xid=798fd682. Accessed 31 Dec. 2016.

Grandin, Karl, Jagers, Peter, and Sven Kullander. Nuclear Energy. Ambio, vol. 39, 2010, pp.

2630. www.jstor.org/stable/40801588. Accessed 30 Dec. 2016

"Nuclear Energy." Global Issues in Context Collection, Gale, 2016. Global Issues in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CP3208520079/GIC?u=mass12242&xid=1449a464.

Accessed 19 Dec. 2016.

"Nuclear Fusion Research Enters 'Critical Phase' In France." All Things Considered, 22 Aug.

2013. Global Issues in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A340890967/GIC?u=mass12242&xid=16bedf9d. Accessed

27 Dec. 2016.

"Nuclear Reaction; Shinzo Abe is right. It is time for Japan to return to nuclear power." Times

[London, England], 11 Mar. 2014, p. 28. Global Issues in Context,

 Burns 6

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A370205315/GIC?u=mass12242&xid=9f4c4343. Accessed

26 Dec. 2016.