Nuclear Controversy By: Devin Pittman

Atomic Questions How could something be so controversial If it`s dangerous why do we use it and if not we don`t we more of it These are frequently asked but the answer is in its history and the invention its self

Brighter side The idea nuclear energy is thought of as a weapon or lethal radiation comes to mind. You would be surprised at how many reactors there really are. In fact every living thing on this planet uses nuclear energy because the Sun is nuclear fusion at its best.

Solar nukes The Sun is not “fire” because that is combustion which requires oxygen. In fact it is nuclear fusion ran by gravity. The difference between nuclear reactions on Earth and Stars is on earth we need different materials i.e. uranium and plutonium were as stars use fusion which requires hydrogen.

Controversy The reason nuclear energy`s controversy is the events at Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and Fukushima. Before, nuclear energy was publicly available there had already been two wartime uses as a weapon not to mention this frequent nuclear test of the Soviets and the Americans.

What`s a melt down A meltdown can occur when too much atomic energy is released resulting in a relatively small explosion releasing massive amounts of nuclear radiation. This is why fission has made itself constantly unstable. In a simple way of putting it fission is just smashing and small explosion as a result.

What prevents a meltdown A series of cooling tubes and water can easily keep a reactor cool. If a cooling tube stops cooling then the reactor can easily over heat and explode. That’s why there are backup coolers instead of one tube. Many people want to stop using fission and start using fusion not only because it produces more energy its cheaper and it also can not meltdown.