An Argumentative Essay “Use of Nuclear Energy: Safe or Not?”

Most countries today are becoming more and more dependent on nuclear power as a source of energy because of its high energy output and the availability of uranium used for fuelling nuclear reactors that generate power to provide electricity in households. Although using nuclear power as a source of energy has benefits like this, the danger posed by using nuclear power is very eminent. This was demonstrated in the recent Fukushima daiichi nuclear reactor crisis wherein the reactors as of March 24, 2011 at Fukushima emitted 30,000 to 110,000 TBq of Iodine 131 much higher compared to Chernobyl’s 760 PBq or 400 kg of I-131, 85 PBq Cs-137 (Shimbun, 2011). Another widely known nuclear reactor accident was the Chernobyl disaster that occurred on April 26, 1986 (Black, 2011).

Threats not only exists in accidents like the ones mentioned, but also threats exists not only from terrorists but also from other countries who have acquired or made nuclear weapons. An all out war will probably see the use of nuclear weapons against each nation’s enemy resulting in a nuclear holocaust. Millions of people will die not only from the initial explosions of the nuclear bombs but also from the following nuclear fallout that will cause widespread radiation sickness.

A German study showed that there is a statistically significant increase solid cancers (54%), and in leukemia (76%) in children aged less than 5 within 5 km of 15 German nuclear power plant sites (Fairlie, 2009).

 

 

Use of nuclear energy has two advantages over fossil-fuel plants. (1) Nuclear reactors use less fuel than a fossil-fuel plant to generate the same amount of energy a fossil-fuel plant generates. The fissioning of 1 metric ton of uranium fuel provides the same amount of heat energy as burning of 3 million metric tons of coal or 12 million barrels of oil. (2) Uranium, unlike fossil fuels, does not produce chemical or solid pollutants that are released into the air. (World Book Encyclopedia, 1996).

The trade-off is that (1) nuclear plants costs more to build than fossil-fuel plants. (2) Nuclear plants are potentially hazardous. In order for a nuclear plant to be built, it first has to pass several government requirements that a fossil-fuel plant does not have to meet. Nuclear plants must pass government tests before a certain nuclear plant maybe deemed safe to start operation. In addition to that there have been already many serious accidents involving nuclear plants like the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in 1986 and the more recent Fukushima daiichi plant in Japan that has already reached a certain level of severity making it as much or more disastrous that the Chernobyl accident causing widespread opposition against the building of more nuclear plants. (3) Uranium that is used for continues to emit radiation long after it has been used up posing dangers to any community close to the nuclear plants.

Although experts argue that nuclear power should be used as a source of energy because it is a clean source of energy and does not produce any chemical or solid pollutants, the uranium that is used in fuelling the nuclear plants still remains radioactive and can still harm the surrounding community. To make it worse, the problem of nuclear waste disposal has not yet been solved. A number of solutions have been proposed like geological disposal wherein the radioactive waste is buried 500 to 1000 meters below the ground or the more complicated and costly space disposal of nuclear wastes. The latter being too costly because of the technology needed to be developed and financed to efficiently dispose the wastes.

Proponents of the use of nuclear energy as a source of energy state that nuclear energy is the safest energy option. This, however, is contradicted and is shown to be questionable by the past nuclear plant accidents. Also, uranium, the source needed to power a nuclear plant to generate electricity itself is dangerous. The threat of nuclear terrorism also exists as terrorists can use radioactive nuclear wastes in building nuclear weapons for self-interests which in turn can cause a nuclear war that has the potential to wipeout the human race from the face of the earth.

Summarizing and analysis of the pros and cons of the use of nuclear power, we can see that the sinister consequences of the decision to use nuclear power far outweigh the advantages of using such sources of energy. Continued use of nuclear power could lead to more severe types of accidents with effects that can not be irreversible.

Countries world wide should research on better and safer sources of energy rather than risking the lives of millions of people just to generate the energy needed to supply our daily energy requirements.

A Definition Essay “Wars: Should it be fought or not?”

War is an open armed conflict between two or more countries or groups (Collins Compact Dictionary, 2002). It is one of the significant events that have already been in existence since the creation of mankind and will continue to coexist with us indefinitely.

Nobel Laureate Richard E. Smalley listed war as the sixth out of ten biggest problems that man kind will be facing for the next fifty years (Smalley, 2008). War is an aspect of the human culture, seemingly will be eternally attached to the human timeline. It has already changed and will still continue to shape the world based on how it is governed and the international policies of different countries.

War has been fought throughout the history of mankind. Even before the dawn of civilization, small scale wars had already taken place between different tribes. One such example is the findings in a Nubian cemetery dating back 12,000 years ago in which one half of the people found in the cemetery died because of violence (Keeley, 1996).

Another example was during 1826, Shaka, the most influential tribe leader of the Zulu kingdom, led an army of 50,000 to destroy the Ndwandwe, a rival tribe, numbering approximately 40,000 (Rubinstein, 2004). It just shows how violent people can be even before the advent of guns and knives. But the most deadly war of all was World War II, killing as many as 72 million people with ordinary citizens among the dead.

War has changed on how it is waged since the first time it occurred. From clubs and stones that the pre-historic man used to kill his enemies to the missiles and nuclear bombs that has now become the new face of death and world destruction.

A full blown war doesn’t start just for a single reason, usually, there are several factors that determine if war will be waged or not. One of the primary reasons of countries who wage war against other countries is that the country that started the war wants to take over the resources and the territory of the county being invaded for living space. Another reason is for defense purposes, countries invade its neighboring countries to serve as a “buffer” zone between their enemies and them. An invading country would first need to invade the occupied country between them and their enemy in order to get closer to their enemy. But this move was not, however, without its risks. Often, many casualties were the result of a major offensive campaign.

For the past century, the weapons used in warfare had seen a significant development, making wars more deadly than ever. Guns became deadlier as it phased out its round musket ammunition and changed it with the pointed aerodynamic bullets that we use today. Becoming even more deadly, the once single firing rifles have become rapid firing automatic weapons, slaughtering anyone that it faces. Bombs became more powerful and a lot more accurate seeing the first use of remote controlled fins that make the bomb more accurate. However, the most significant development in the history of weapons would be the creation of the atom bomb, the most destructive and powerful weapon man has ever created. It can kill millions of people and destroy one whole city with one blast. The creation of the atom bomb changed how modern warfare is fought and brought a new radical era throughout the world. This is known as the Nuclear Age.

The development of weapons has made the present weapons more powerful and dangerous, making wars much more destructive with greater number of casualties. A war- ridden country would be probably impoverished after the war. Another effect of war to a country is depopulation; many of its citizens will die as a result of combat and many more will because of the famine and epidemic that usually follow after a war. Though much of us expect only the worst after a war, there is one such good effect of war. The establishment of the United Nations Organizations (UN); the aim of this organization is to help maintain world peace and to help in social and economic development of countries.

Knowing these facts, many people question the morality of war or even if wars should ever be fought. Pacifists see war as an immoral aspect of human culture and no war should ever be fought. Although, some still argue like Thomas Mann that war is necessary to allow the society to progress disregarding the other aspects of war, the most significant and most immediate effect of war between the warring nations is death. An outcome that should have never happened if wars were prevented.

Therefore, wars should stop; it is unreasonable for wars to continue because wars only result in unnecessary blood shed and loss of life. Nations from all over the world should instead cooperate with each other to develop new technologies that will resolve current global problems such as the problem of global warming and terrorism.

Dreams

When I was a kid, my dream was to become an astronaut, because I was fascinated by the stars on where they get their shine form. As time passed by, my dreams kept changing until I was 15. From that point in my life, I realized what I wanted to be, and that is to become a businessman. I idolized the significant persons in the business industry, especially in the Philippines like Henry Sy and John Gokongwei. Both of them were very poor back then but with their determination and efforts, they were able to overcome poverty and become one of the wealthiest people in the country. Their story is what I always put in mind to keep me motivated. I always say to myself that if they can be rich even if they were very poor, then I, being a La Sallian can also be rich.

Another person that inspires me is my mother. I want to be like my mother whom herself is a business woman. I was amazed by her story on how she started as an ordinary sewer of clothes and eventually became the owner of her own garment business. Her story inspired me and it became my driving force that motivated me to study hard and become a successful businessman. Every time that I complain about how hard my lessons and exams are, she always remind be that life would be harder for me if I fail to graduate and pass my exams. She always makes it a point that she has been through the same situation and that she was able to make her way through. My mother would tell me about her hardships during her college years and how she was able to pass against all the odds. She further explains that hard work beats talent and that if I would only try to study harder and exceed more effort, it will be only a matter of time before I graduate with honors. Since then, I have always kept in my heart and in my mind her own success story and every advice that she has given me that would help me to conquer every challenge that comes my way.

When I heard her side and her stories of struggles and triumph, I was filled with confidence and determination. Right after that, I immediately grabbed my COMALGE handouts and determinedly started reading and trying to understand every problem and equation in it. That is how powerful the words of a loving mother to her child. I am really blessed and I thanks God that I have a mother like her.

But of course, life does not come without problems. I, for one, have already gone through those moments when you feel so down and low because of a failed exam and you feel like you’re not going to have another chance. But the point is we should never stop nor give in. When I think of determination, I remember the commencement speech that Winston Churchill gave to Harrow School in 1941- ‘Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.’ Whether it may be big or small, we should not give up nor stop in pursuing our dreams.

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