TWC Paper Outline

Nuclear Power and Nuclear Bombs: Effects on the Past and Future Implications

Executive Summary

This paper seeks to review the past effects of nuclear energy and nuclear bombs on world development on an economic and political way and their implications for the future. The paper looks back on the positive and negative turns humanity has taken involving the use of this technology.

Why I chose this topic:

One persisting problem the world is currently facing is the Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown following an earthquake that happened there in 2011. This is a good example of both the good and dark sides of nuclear technology. Thinking through this some more, I realized that nuclear power is more than just in powering up our cities, it is the basis of some of the world’s greatest political trump cards: nuclear weapons. Working on this paper will us a greater understanding on how nuclear power was used to shape the world we know today.

Background

Nuclear power plants supply about 17% of the world’s power.

Development of Nuclear Energy - Radiation was discovered 1795 and discoveries that led up to 1939 discovery by Lise Meitner and her nephew Otto Frisch that showed the energy release to be about 200 million electron volts. Frisch then confirmed this figure experimentally in January 1939.

During World War II development shifted towards nuclear bombs.

Effects on the past

·        Nuclear Weapons

The Advent of Nuclear Weapons

-World War 2 and Cold War (Nuclear Arms Race) and their political implications

-Nuclear powered submarines (perhaps)

Brief look at effect on international Law

·        Uses outside warfare

Samples of products created using radioactive substances

Using Nuclear energy to power cities – President Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace Program 1953”

Three Mile Island Disaster – slowed down the brakes on the Nuclear industry in 1970’s

Chernobyl Disaster 1986 and similar cases – health and environmental effects elaboration

Effects in Today’s Societies and Why We Are Keeping It

·        Outside politics and why they keep using nuclear power

Nuclear power continues to contribute quite significantly to global energy supply

Disarming nuclear (some) nuclear warheads for domestic use

Nuclear energy does not contribute to carbon emissions during the energy creation process and other reasons why it is considered better than fossil fuels

Other economic benefits of nuclear energy (domestic industry in those that can afford it, no need to rely on global commodity prices, etc)

Looking towards nuclear fusion

Some nuclear spills still happen. It’s only safe if properly contained.

·        Politics and warfare

Nuclear bombs still continue to play a big role in politics- North Korea

India and China are also big on the nuclear game. If Iran’s nuclear program is supposedly domestic, why don’t they let anyone take a look?

Future Implications

·        Societal

Could we be seeing a decline in the nuclear industry? The US is showing signs of a slowing nuclear power industry.

Storing nuclear waste is still a problem. Could we actually manage to turn nuclear waste into fuel?

Is Nuclear Fusion really the way of the future?

·        Political

Would we be seeing countries still resorting to using nukes for international clout? Seems likely.

With the Africa’s recent rise in economic status, could we be seeing another nuclear super power in the making?

Conclusion

Nuclear energy is going to continue to play a big role in our lives. Nuclear energy will still fuel part of the world but people are slowly moving towards other alternative energy sources. Nukes will still be part of certain international negotiations and reactions.

Bibliography

To be included