We have been living in the nuclear age now for over half a century. Since the first atomic bombs were developed, nuclear technology has provided governments with the ability to totally destroy the planet. Yet the technology has been put to positive use as an energy source and in certain areas of medicine. To what extent is nuclear technology a danger to life on Earth? What are the benefits and risks associated with its use?
We have been living in the nuclear age now for over half a century. Since the first atomic bombs were developed, it has provided the ability to totally destroy the planet’s population. Hence, some people think that nuclear technology is a danger to life on Earth.
Despite the danger of nuclear technologies, it can be put to positive use, for instance, as an energy source. Nuclear energy can be an enormous source of electricity. Nuclear power plants can provide continuous and stable electricity production. Additionary, compared to traditional energy sources, nuclear energy has low carbon emission, which is better for a climate than, for example, thermal power plants. Nuclear technology also can be useful in certain areas of medicine. As a result of splitting of the nuclear mareials, appear isotopes that are used in research and nuclear medicine. In fact, this field of medicine gives the opportunity to research the human body and successfully used in endocrinology, neurology, oncology, cardiology and many others.
However, the danger of nuclear technologies is no less for humanity that its benefits. Firstly, accidents on power plants can lead to terrible consequences for the environment and the healthy of people such as disaster in Chernobyl. This incedent showed the world how dangerous can be nuclear power plants and what serious consequences they can have. Secondly, utilization of radioactive waste after nuclear energy production is a extremely difficult problem. Thirdly, building and maintaining of atomic stations is expensive and complicated. Fourthly, nuclear power can be used to create atomic bombs. Nuclear weapons are the most dangerous on Earth. Proof of this, it was used by the USA that dropped 2 bombs on the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 during Second World War. The attack killed around 200,000 thousand people. Without a doubt, nuclear weapon can destroy not only an entire city, but also the whole planet’s population because of the tragical consequences of its use as a nuclear winter.
In brief, the using of nuclear technologies may carry both certain risks for humanity and the environmental and some benefits. Thus, it is important to find a balance between using these technologies for energy and other field, because consequences of wrong use nuclear power can be awful for whole planet.