UNIT 3 Nuclear Energy

NUCLEAR PROBLEMS

Why worry about fossil fuels if we have nuclear energy? Well, there are many reasons. One is that this same nuclear reaction is responsible for the horrors of nuclear weapons, which destroyed Hiroshima.

Countries using nuclear power stations might also learn to make nuclear weapons of their own, and the super powers already have more than enough to destroy the planet – fifty times over.

Also, many people are worried about the nuclear plants themselves. Nuclear reactors produce powerful radiation which can kill in large doses. At lower levels, this radiation can also cause cancer and other problems. Because of this, the safety precautions are very thorough –much better than in a traditional plant.

However human or mechanical error can never be entirely ruled out. There have been radiation leaks at nuclear plants all over the world. One of the worst nuclear accidents was the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 in Ukraine. Fifty-seven accidents have occurred since the Chernobyl disaster and almost two-thirds (56 out of 99) of all nuclear-related accidents have occurred in the USA.