How Nuclear Energy Affect the Society: Causes, Weapons (Research Paper Sample)

Name:
Institution:
Course:
Date:
How Nuclear Energy Affect the Society
Energy has been the foundation of human existence for many centuries just like food. Humans require energy in all aspects of life for the production of food, provision of power to generation of heat. There are several sources from which energy can be obtained such as coal, fossil fuels, solar, and the wind. The energy can be in various forms such as mechanical, chemical, thermal, electrical, or atomic. With rapid industrialization taking place globally, energy shortage has become a stumbling block to development in many sectors prompting nations to resort to nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is generated by splitting uranium atoms through two different processes; fusion and fission. These processes release tremendous amounts of energy compared to any other energy source. Nuclear energy is undoubtedly changing and affecting the modern society in many ways. Nuclear energy has gained its popularity in the twenty-first century due to some causes as well as their short- and long-term effects on the society.
Causes
Weapons
Nuclear weapons commonly referred to as atomic bombs or hydrogen bombs are considered the most destructive weapons that man has ever built. They are made by the release of nuclear energy through the process of nuclear fission, nuclear fusion or a combination of the two processes. Since World War II when the United States unleashed an atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, nuclear weapons have become the ultimate weaponry for countries against any military invasion. As a global security concern, many nations believe that nuclear weapons enhance their own security but subject the world into an imminent security crisis. In the wake of global terrorism some nations such as the United States and China are worried about the real risks to security when the terrorists get their hands on nuclear weapons (Kopytko and Perkins 323). Countries such as Pakistan and Israel keep an undeclared number of nuclear warheads due to their frequent border conflicts as a security preparedness measure.
Source of Power
Nuclear power plants normally carry out nuclear fission to generate energy. The heat energy produced from reactions boils the water to produce steam that is used to run the turbines thereby creating usable and reliable power. Nuclear power is considered the safest and inexhaustible source of power that a country can ever have. Today, there are nearly 500 nuclear reactors across the globe that provides enough electric power in 30 industrialized countries. Nuclear power is reliable because the reactors provide base-load power that is available all through. For instance, the reactors that were built in the last 40 years are still in perfect condition and have been granted an extension of 20 more years to come. The cost of nuclear power is competitive. It implies that the price of nuclear kilowatt per hour is so little as compared to the market price of fossil fueled power. Moreover, a nuclear plant is compact. This means that it occupies a relatively small area compared to some sources of power such as wind turbine farms and solar cells that require large tracts of land.
Environmental Conservation
Nuclear energy is clean since it does not produce carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide gases or nitrogen oxides. With no carbon emissions, this has been the main basis of support from environmentalists who are concerned about global warming. Global warming is one of the fundamental problems that are facing the global society as a result of industrialization. The burning of fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas emit carbon into the atmosphere leading to the formation of a blanket of gases that prevent the escape of terrestrial radiations. It is now estimated that the social costs of global warming are so high that they outweigh the potential threat of nuclear meltdowns from the reactors. In addition, acid gases from coal, emulsion fuels and oil are known for their creation of acid rain that destroys vegetation, crops, and ecological habitats for microorganisms. The rain also corrodes buildings, transport lines and structures. As a result, countries are pushing for the adoption of nuclear energy that is safe, clean and renewable.
Economic Stability
The nuclear energy industry is a significant contributor to job creation and economic growth. The industry plays an important role in the creation of both short and long term employment opportunities and economic benefits. For instance, countries like the United States are generating substantial revenues from the sale of electricity obtained from nuclear plants. As the global energy demand is rising, countries have initiated hundreds of nuclear plant projects that produce emission-free, affordable electricity. The nuclear energy generates millions of dollars of economic output excluding the total labor income. A recent study found that the nuclear plants in the United States have substantial economic benefits that outweigh other electric generating technologies due to the number of workers that are required operate the nuclear stations (Jaffer 3). With the high unemployment rates witnessed in some countries, nations have diverted their resources to creating nuclear workforce through the building of more nuclear plants.
Effects
Current effects
Radioactive Radiation
Nuclear energy is generated using materials that are highly radioactive. The nuclear meltdowns that occur in nuclear plants are normally posing the greatest threat to human health. The devastating effect of the radiations from nuclear plants or weapons occurs as a result of the ionizing radiations making the living cells to mutate or sicken. This result is open sores, skin irritation, burn, internal bleeding, ulcers or cancer. Mutations damage DNA of the cells thus leading to the birth of children with queer medical conditions and appearances. Communities that are exposed to radiations leakages for a long time are likely to experience psychological problems caused by the frequent diseases and death. For example, the 2011 nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant resulted in series of explosions that released radiations into the neighboring communities and water bodies (Li et al. 34). Similarly, the 1986 explosion of a nuclear reactor at Chernobyl in Ukraine resulted in a huge number of fatalities and suffering the majority of them being the local population. The whole area was rendered inhabitable by that disaster.
Pollution from Nuclear Waste
Pollution is one of the major problems affecting the society in the twenty-first century. This has been aggravated by the fact that nuclear waste disposal is far from the required standards. It is estimated that each nuclear reactor accrues more than 30 tons of radioactive waste with no proper mechanisms that ensure no radiations are emitted. The situation even worsens when this waste manages to infiltrate into water bodies that are used for human consumption as well as agriculture. The contaminated water disturbs the natural habitat of several creatures and plants thereby resulting in a gradual ecological imbalance of a region (Eggermont and Hugé 94). Man depends on fish for food. As studies have shown, there is a significant drop in the population of some fish species believed to be affected by radioactive radiations; the society is likely to witnessed disturbances in fish ...