Band 5+: 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 the climate than, for example, thermal power plants. Nuclear technology can also be useful in certain areas of medicine. As a result of the splitting of the nuclear materials, 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 is successfully used in endocrinology, neurology, oncology, cardiology and many others.

However, nuclear technologies have many disadvantages, even more than 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 an 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 the 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 use of nuclear technologies may have both risks for humanity and environmental and benefits. Thus, it is important to find a balance between using these technologies for energy and other field, because the consequences of wrong use of nuclear power can be awful for the whole planet.