THE NUCLEAR DEBATE: The nuclear dilemma

We live in an era where many believe that our technology will be the solution to all our problems—a new computer to help us learn and connect, a new car to make us safe, a new alarm system to keep our home secure—all of these technological advancements help us in our everyday lives.

Unfortunately, there are some risks involved in the machines we depend on: Some technology creates more problems than it solves. One of these technological advancements that may be harming our society is nuclear power.

Nuclear power plants and coal burning power plants actually work in a similar manner, as both methods use the power of steam to create electricity. The generation of nuclear power occurs when nuclear rods are used in a series of reactions to heat water into steam, which in turn powers the turbines that create electricity. While nuclear power has the advantage of being fossil-fuel free and “green,” it literally and figuratively poses several issues.

High tech facilities, such as nuclear power plants, are often incredibly costly to build. The stigma that surrounds nuclear power plants also prevents many citizens and counties from allowing them to be constructed.

Due to the highly deadly nature of radiation, there are many risks involved in building a nuclear power plant. As is currently the case with Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant, if the area is the site of a natural disaster, the results can be catastrophic. Chernobyl occurred due to a fault in the design of the reactor and there are an almost limitless variety of unaccounted for circumstances that could trigger an unplanned problem.

The Nuclear Waste Institute states that one nuclear power plant produces around 20 tons of used nuclear fuel, also known as “high-level radioactive waste,” per year. This waste currently has no permanent storage method and, due to the level of heat produced, the containers for the waste may corrode.

“Low-level radioactive waste” is also produced from nuclear power plants, and these products also need to be placed in a “temporary” storage until radiation levels drop to “safe” amounts. This process can take tens of thousands of years to occur. The result is a large amount of nuclear waste being stored in the soil and in facilities that may or may not remain safe for such an extended period of time.

The banks of the Columbia River have been a casualty of nuclear power, being converted into a dumping ground for waste. Several years ago, there were a variety of studies into the likelihood of soil contamination. Currently, the risks of transporting the materials, plus the problems associated with finding a new dumping location, have left the waste as it is: a potential ticking time bomb.

Currently, science has yet to discover a long-term solution to nuclear waste dumping and storage. While nuclear power may be the wave of the future and does provide a large amount of energy, especially abroad, the risks associated with such a practice far outweigh the dangers.

Most are familiar with the recent damages that occurred after the tsunami in Japan. Not only did it shatter thousands of lives, but it also caused serious damage to the previously mentioned Fukushima nuclear power plant. Last month, the area was evacuated after the devastating earthquake and tsunami, followed by the government declaring a state of emergency. The levels of radiation have caused contamination of food sources and many wonder if this could be the next Chernobyl.

While every risk cannot be taken into account, the development of nuclear power should be put on hold until science catches up with the technology and we reach a point where waste can be dumped or stored properly. It would also be of use to design such facilities that are either out of range of natural disasters, or power plants that are architecturally sound enough to withstand such damage.

Until these problems are solved, we are only creating more problems for future generations to sort out.

Surrounded by a blanket technology, Americans feel that we are safe and sound inside our computerized, modern world. Yet, with every advance comes a new set of dilemmas that must be taken into account. ?