Nuclear power is expensive.

The energy source of nuclear power is limited just like fossil fuel. Uranium is an element used in nuclear reactor, and only few countries around the world have access to this resource. World Nuclear Association states that “about half of world production comes from just ten mines in six countries: Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Namibia, Niger and Russia” (“How Uranium Ore Is Made Into Nuclear Fuel” 1). Although the United States has quite large uranium resources, most of them are low to medium-grade. According to Physicians for Social Responsibilities, the United States signed the Continuing Resolution into law in September 2008 for Russian highly enriched uranium through 2020, and “the U.S. will continue to rely on Russia for a significant amount of uranium for commercial nuclear reactors” (“Dirty, Dangerous and Expensive: The Truth about Nuclear Power” 3). Since enriched uranium is critical and limited for global supply, price of uranium is expected to increase just like fossil fuel.

The estimates for construction and maintenance of a new nuclear plant are rising. Totty points out an expensive construction of a nuclear reactor, especially after several nuclear disasters around the world, addressing “FPL Group, of Juno Beach, Fla., estimates that two new reactors planned for southeast Florida would cost between $6 billion and $9 billion each” (4). Physicians for Social Responsibilities states that loan guarantees are “most important subsidy for the nuclear industry, and the nuclear industry is seeking over $100 billion in guarantees;” however, only $18.5 billion is authorized because “failure rate for nuclear projects is very high – well above 50 percent” (“Dirty, Dangerous and Expensive: The Truth about Nuclear Power” 3). If nuclear power receives public subsidies and leads to failure, taxpayers will be held responsible for the payouts, which is unbearable in free market (Rowell 2). Rowell further informs about the Finnish reactor subsidized by the French nuclear industry, which is under investigation by the Finnish nuclear safety regulator STUK due to cost overruns and delays (2). The prices of constructing and maintaining a nuclear power plant are increasing at exponential rates every year, and the nuclear energy is already inefficient both economically and politically.



Work Cited

“Dirty, Dangerous and Expensive: The Truth about Nuclear Power.” Physicians for Social Responsibility: United States Affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Web.

“How Uranium Ore Is Made Into Nuclear Fuel.” World Nuclear Association. Web.

Rowell, Alexis. “Ten Reasons Why New Nuclear Was a Mistake – Even Before Fukushima.” Transition Culture. Web. 15 March. 2011.

Totty, Michael. “The Case For and Against Nuclear Power.” The Wall Street Journal. Web. 30 June. 2008.

Nuclear power is dirty.

Mining process of nuclear power creates serious environmental problems. Nuclear power is not free from carbon emission. Rowell claims that fossil fuels are required for mining uranium, building a nuclear power station, and disposing of radioactive waste; therefore “a nuclear power station produces as much carbon dioxide as a gas-fired power station” (3). Uranium is limited resource and will require deeper mining in the future, which will require increased amount of fossil fuels, producing increased amount of carbon dioxide. Soon, it will require more energy to extract uranium than producing energy from the resource. Uranium mining of 1,000 tons of uranium creates approximately 100,000 tons of radioactive tailings that have contaminated rivers and nearly one million gallons of liquid waste containing heavy metals and arsenic in addition to radioactivity; furthermore, “a new method of uranium mining, known as in-situ leaching, does not produce tailings but it does threaten contamination of groundwater water supplies” (“Dirty, Dangerous and Expensive: The Truth about Nuclear Power” 1). The mining process also affects miners who “experience higher rates of lung cancer, tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases (“Dirty, Dangerous and Expensive: The Truth about Nuclear Power” 1). The level of deterioration is extremely high, and it is doubtful that the nature can recover.

Waste disposal also creates a serious environmental problem. Amount of radioactive waste increases while lands to dispose of the waste are limited. The United States alone already accumulated 63,000 metric tons of highly radioactive spent fuel at reactor sites, and “another 42,000 metric tons will be produced by operating reactors” (“Dirty, Dangerous and Expensive: The Truth about Nuclear Power” 1). The wastes can be handled properly if there are enough repository sites. Totty states, however, that the U.S. does not have single permanent repository site after cancellation at Yucca Mountain in Nevada due to public safety (5). After failure to dispose of the existing inventory of spent fuel, “US taxpayers have already paid out $565 million in contract damages to nuclear utilities…[and] an additional billion dollars of damage payments are expected every year for the next decade” (“Dirty, Dangerous and Expensive: The Truth about Nuclear Power” 1). Nuclear power is not green, and environmental problems are accumulating without proper resolutions.

Work Cited

“Dirty, Dangerous and Expensive: The Truth about Nuclear Power.” Physicians for Social Responsibility: United States Affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Web.

Rowell, Alexis. “Ten Reasons Why New Nuclear Was a Mistake – Even Before Fukushima.” Transition Culture. Web. 15 March. 2011.

Totty, Michael. “The Case For and Against Nuclear Power.” The Wall Street Journal. Web. 30 June. 2008.

Nuclear power is dangerous.

Safety issues are ongoing in nuclear power plants. Accidents on these sites can bring devastating consequences, leading to casualties and the radioactive fallout. Several nuclear accidents around the world have proven that a nuclear power plant is nothing more than a time bomb.

Nuclear reactor technology is schematics, invented during the Cold War. The United States and Russia mainly have studied the nuclear technology after signing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Although the intention of building nuclear power plants was positive, maintenance were problematic without proper safety culture.

According to the Physicians for Social Responsibility, the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine is caused by lack of safety measures, and the nuclear explosion released radiation covering 11,000 square kilometers of unusable lands and led to 85,000 casualties out of 600,000 people received elevated doses of radiation (1). The 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown in Pennsylvania started with the overheated core and caused long-term health consequences, such as lung cancer or leukemia, for the surrounding area (PSR).

The developed countries, which are granted with nuclear reactor technology, have witnessed the destruction of the nuclear power, yet they persisted on building the nuclear plants. New safety measures sound seemingly promising until the countries realize that the threats are too risky to depend on prediction and insurance.

The 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster in Japan was caused by natural disasters and expected to be the worst accident in history. According to the report of Global Issues, a massive tsunami caused damage on the nuclear plant, and several nuclear power plants began to malfunction (1). Although the shutdowns of the reactors were successful, the IAEA reported that the incident was characterized a level 7 event on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale, and this cumulative release of radiation might eventually surpass Chernobyl levels (2). Water to cool the reactors was contaminated with plutonium leakage, and the Fukushima workers dumped the contaminated water into the ocean (3). Traces of radioactivity were discovered in rainwater and atmospheric samples in China, South Korea, Vietnam, and as far away as the eastern coast of the United States (4). The mandatory evacuation from the inner 20 kilometer (12 mile) zone processed 78,000 residents and voluntary evacuation from 20 to 30 kilometers (12 to 18 miles) processed 60,000 people (5). All agricultural products and trade activities within the radiation zone were officially halted (Fukushima).

The current nuclear reactor technology is unstable, and the catastrophes of the nuclear meltdown is risking human lives and the environment. The nuclear disasters in history have shown that nuclear energy is too costly with sacrifices of human lives and the nuclear power plant should be banned globally.


Work Cited

“Dirty, Dangerous and Expensive: The Truth about Nuclear Power.” Physicians for Social Responsibility: United States Affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Web. <http://www.psr.org/resources/nuclear-power-factsheet.html>

"Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Global Issues In Context. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

About Ghararm

 

This is a picture of me, taken by my sister at cafe.

 

One of my favorite hobbies is hiking.

 

It was my first experience of rafting at Deep Creek this summer.

This is a latop I am currently using, which also will be my companion for the journey in the field of computer science.

 

New York Times used this picture in the news of relationship between shooting incidents and violent video games. Although I feel sympathy when hearing reports that the games make people "shooting in the dark", I still oppose the viewpoint and want to research more on this topic.