Debate "Advantage and Disadvantage Nuclear Energy"

                Group 7                        Class    XII IPA 1

Ayi Abdul Basith

Ilham Fahmi Taufik

Luthfi Ramdhani

Moch. Hilman Fauzi

Ridwan Nulhakim

Yusfitra Rizky

Nuclear energy is commonly offered as an alternative to overcome the energy crisis. the debate whether the use of nuclear energy is an appropriate choice has not come to an end. some people agree with the utilization of it because of its benefits. some other, however, disagree because of its risk to the environment.

Those who agree with the operation of nuclear reactor usually argue that nuclear energi is the only feasible choice to answer the ever increasing enery needs. However, people who disagree with the use of nuclear produst completly destroy environtment and human lives.

ADVANTAGE

Technology and the use of nuclear techniques can benefit and contribute greatly to the economic development and welfare. In the field of medicine, nuclear engineering contributed no less, that is, three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy therapy (3D-CRT), which can develop surgical methods using ionizing radiation as a scalpel. With this technique, the cases of malignant tumors that are difficult to reach with conventional scalpel can be resolved, even without damaging other tissue.

As compared to other conventional energy sources, Nuclear power produces very less amount of pollution. Very small amount of raw material is required to generate huge amount of nuclear energy. To put it into perspective, about 28gm of Uranium releases as much amount of energy as is generated by 100 metric tonnes of coal.

Since they are required in small quantities, atomic materials can be easily transported to far-off places even at a global scale. Thus transportation is easy unless you are considering security part of it. If nuclear power stations are operated upto their full capacity they can produce cheap electricityand gain from other benefits of Nuclear energy.

The quantity of nuclear waste produced is also small. Cons of this advantage are discussed in Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy. It is a very reliable source of energy. The average life span of a nuclear reactor is approx. 40 years which can be extended upto 60 years. Nuclear power stations are usually very compact compared to thermal stations.

Although the initial capital cost of building a nuclear plant is high, the maintenance and running costs are relatively low. Nuclear power has great prospects in the near future as nuclear power plants are efficient and do not produce any kind of pollution, unlike other sources. All in all, if nuclear energy is implemented extensively and its potential is exploited well, it would bring down the use of other important conventional sources of energy.

Nuclear reactions release a million times more energy, as compared to hydro or wind energy. Hence, a large amount of electricity can be generated. Presently, 12-18% of the world's electricity is generated through nuclear energy. The biggest advantage of this energy is that there is no release of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbon) during nuclear reaction. The greenhouse gases are a major threat in the current scenario, as they cause global warming and climate change. As there is no emission of these gases during nuclear reaction, there is very little effect on the environment.

The burning of fossil fuels result in emission of the poisonous carbon dioxide. It is a menace to the environment as well as human life. There is no release of carbon di-oxide at the time of nuclear reaction. Nuclear reactors make use of uranium as fuel. Fission reaction of a small amount of uranium generates a large amount of energy. Currently, the high reserves of uranium found on Earth, are expected to last for another 100 years. High amount of energy can be generated from a single nuclear power plant. Also, nuclear fuel is inexpensive and easier to transport.

DISADVANTAGE

The nations of the world now have more than enough nuclear bombs to kill every person on Earth. The two most powerful nations -- Russia and the United States -- have about 50,000 nuclear weapons between them. What if there were to be a nuclear war? What if terrorists got their hands on nuclear weapons? Or what if nuclear weapons were launched by accident?

Nuclear explosions produce radiation. The nuclear radiation harms the cells of the body which can make people sick or even kill them. Illness can strike people years after their exposure to nuclear radiation.

One possible type of reactor disaster is known as a meltdown. In such an accident, the fission reaction goes out of control, leading to a nuclear explosion and the emission of great amounts of radiation.

In 1979, the cooling system failed at the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Radiation leaked, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee. The problem was solved minutes before a total meltdown would have occurred. Fortunately, there were no deaths.

In 1986, a much worse disaster struck Russia's Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In this incident, a large amount of radiation escaped from the reactor. Hundreds of thousands of people were exposed to the radiation. Several dozen died within a few days. In the years to come, thousands more may die of cancers induced by the radiation.

Nuclear reactors also have waste disposal problems. Reactors produce nuclear waste products which emit dangerous radiation. Because they could kill people who touch them, they cannot be thrown away like ordinary garbage. Currently, many nuclear wastes are stored in special cooling pools at the nuclear reactors.

The United States plans to move its nuclear waste to a remote underground dump by the year 2010 (two thousand and ten). In 1957(one thousand nine hundred and fivety seven), at a dump site in Russia's Ural Mountains, several hundred miles from Moscow, buried nuclear wastes mysteriously exploded, killing dozens of people. Nuclear reactors only last for about forty to fifty years.