LA Blog Term 2 Week 4 (Weekend Assignment) Sat 16 April 2011

Does nuclear energy still have a part to play in the world?

I do not believe that nuclear energy still has a part to play in the world. After the recent infamous earthquake in Japan, many people are faced with these questions: Is nuclear energy still safe? Is nuclear energy still useful? Is it still usable and safe at the same time? The earthquake in Japan caused enough damage, but the nuclear disaster which followed up was very much unexpected and caused tremendous amounts of long-lasting damage to Japan. At least three nuclear reactors suffered explosions and residents within the area of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated. A total eleven reactors were automatically shut down following the earthquake. This was how serious the damage caused by nuclear reactor and power plants could be. This nuclear disaster caused by the earthquake in Japan has mirrored the similar nuclear accident in Chernobyl 1986. Japan's nuclear disaster had cast many worries and much grief over the affected victims, such as their future children's health under the effects of radiation, the contamination of their food sources and the number of people who lost their homes or even their relatives. The radiation from the any nuclear disaster is very devastating, causing much more long-term damage than short-term. People affected by the radiation may not see the effects after the nuclear disaster, but after a few years, they may suffer severe health deterioration, internal damage and side effects to their organs, and may even be disfigured for life.

As you can see, the possible damage done by a nuclear disaster is very devastating, and I feel that nuclear energy does not deserve a part to play in the world. Would we rather use this energy, just because it is the cleanest way to produce energy, produces little waste and is reliable, and risk nuclear disasters like that of Japan's and Chernobyl's where millions of people would lose their lives, or banish this form of energy and never have to worry about any more nuclear disasters in the future?

I feel that we should do away with nuclear energy, as even though it has many pros, such as the above mentioned, it has this risk of a nuclear disaster occurring, which is definitely not worth the lives lost in the nuclear disaster.