Problems+and+Solutions+G


 * Problems and Solutions **


 * === Problem 1: Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Plant Accidents ===

====One of the main concerns about nuclear power is the fact the enrichment of uranium can be converted to nuclear fuel that to utilize for nuclear bomb. Nuclear detonations are the most devastating of weapons of mass destructruction. Some of the examples are Hiroshima or the international furor over the accidental but enormous radiation release from the Chernobyl power plant.====


 * Nuclear Bomb Detonations**

====The other big concern is the failure of the cooling system of nuclear plant due natural disaster. The contamination from Chernobyl was significantly larger than would have been expected from a nuclear detonation. Below is the picture of nearby city of Pripyat which now called ghost that was divasted by accident of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. This city was inhabited by about 50,000, and the government did not warn the residents of the accident, and issued the evacuation notice two days after the explosion ([]).====

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 * Pripyat City( Now Ghost Town)**

**32 years later after the March 28, 1979 Meltdown on Three Miles Island. The most recent (Fukushima in Japan)**
====**Solar power: It** is a non-polluting, clean energy source that is widely available without any fuel costs. In many remote places where there are no electrical lines, solar power can be used instead. Solar systems are mobile and are virtually maintenance free with only annual cleaning necessary. Solar systems are also reliable and quiet, and can be installed quickly and easily. Photovoltaic systems can be constructed modularly so people can start with two panels and increase the size of the system as they need to, or can afford to.====
 * === Solution: Hybrid System Power Plant ([[image:solar-panels-sun1.jpg width="271" height="173" align="right"]]Sun, Win, and Hydropower)===

[[image:wingt.jpg width="284" height="231" align="left"]]
====**Wind power: It** is a non-polluting, clean energy source that is widely available with no fuel costs. Wind energy is one of the lowest-priced renewableenergy technologies available today, costing between 4 and 6 cents per kilowatt-hour. Wind turbines can be sited on farms and ranches, which allow multiple use of the land (crops, livestock, and wind). Many property owners can obtain funds from utility companies if they grant access to their lands for wind turbines. There are no harmful fluids involved in the production of wind energy.====

====**Hydropower:** It is a non-polluting, clean energy source that is widely available with no fuel costs and low operating and maintenance costs. Hydroelectric power plants last two to ten times longer than coal and nuclear plants. Impoundments that are created by damming rivers and streams produce bodies of water that create recreational opportunities as well as wildlife habitat. The ability to store water may also be beneficial in times of drought in conjunction with controlling downstream flooding and proving water for crop irrigation.====


 * === Problem 2: Leukemia develop due to high levels of radiation ===

====“Leukemia is cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of blood cells to be produced and enter the bloodstream” (Leukemia Cancer Institute, n.d.).Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia is one of the various chronic forms of dLeukemia which can develop from exposure to high doses of nuclear radiation. Leukemia is formed when the radioactive isotope (Strontium-90 and plutonium) is accumulated in the bone, causing the irradiation of the bone marrow. When this occurs the new red blood cells are created with leukemia during the cell division process. Radiation also begins to damage the white cells that are crucial in our immune system that fight cancer cells and bacteria. ====


 * === Solution: Treatments ===

====For sufferers of acute lymphocytic leukemia there are various treatments available which can be used to save their lives. Such treatments consist of chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, radiation therapy, and stem cell transplant. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. It's normally used as an induction therapy for adults and children's that contain ALL. Targeted drug therapy attack specific abnormalities present in cancer cells to help them grow and thrive. Two types of targeted drugs used are imatinib (Gleevec) and dasatinib (Sprycel). These drugs treat cancer cells that have a certain abnormality called the Philadelphia chromosome. Radiation therapy uses high-powered beams, such as X-rays, to kill cancer cells. If the cancer cells have spread to the central nervous system, a doctor may recommend radiation therapy.Stem cell transplant is used to treat patients at a high risk of relapse or for treating relapse when it occurs. It allows patients with leukemia to re-establish healthy stem cells by replacing leukemic bone marrow with leukemia-free marrow.====




 * ==Problem: Sustainability==

The problem that presents itself is the controversy as to whether nuclear energy is realistically sustainable. The main component used in a nuclear reactor is Uranium 235, which is noted as relatively rare by the U.S EIA (2001). If Uranium 235 is relatively rare than it would be sound to take that statement as an implication that there is not an abundance of Uranium 235 for future consumption. Uranium is mined and the Uranium 235 is extracted and processed for use as fuel in reactors. Of the uranium that is mined, only 0.7204% Uranium 235 is present as opposed to 99.3% of Uranium 238 which does not fissile because it cannot be split. Uranium 238 does not fissile independently, it is unable to produce a chain reaction that will generate the amount of energy needed for a nuclear reactor to generate electricity. Most importantly adding to this problem is that it is not renewable so when Uranium 235 is consumed for the expected rise in electricity demand then the supply will run low (Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, 1996).


 * ==Solution: Renewable Energy and Enrichment==

There are alternative energy sources that are available, although not used for the greater majority of energy worldwide. Again, the expenses incurred form renewable energy is the reason why it is not widely adapted. The alternate energy sources are biomass, hydro power, geothermal, wind, and solar. The other reason is the availability is not completely reliable- the sun sets, winds down, and droughts occur. The idea is that more dependence on nuclear energy and renewable energy sources could satisfy the demand and decrease our dependence on fossil fuels (U.S EIA, n.d).

Uranium enrichment is the process in which Uranium 235 is concentrated to reach between 3% and 5% instead of 0.7204%. Uranium can be enriched through gas centrifuge or gaseous diffusion. The process in which the uranium goes through changes the chemicals and adds more concentration. Enrichment is used int he United States, there is a gaseous diffusion site in facility in Paducah, Kentucky and a gas centrifuge site in Lea County New Mexico (U.S NRC, 2011).



**Transition Statement**: The next page will illustrate the ethical issues of nuclear power.

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