Solar power and nuclear
power are considered to be two of the main energy sources. The application of
solar power to generate energy is available to all countries worldwide while the
application of nuclear power to generate energy is limited; except to technologically
developed countries and it is not authorized for all countries to produce it due
to its potentially detrimental effects on the world peace. Nuclear energy is the energy produced
by splitting apart the nuclei of atoms while solar energy is the energy
produced from the absorbance of sun rays. Solar energy has a lot of advantages
and its application is considered to be ethically preferrable and better than
nuclear energy. However, the advantages of nuclear power can’t be ignored. This
report will compare and contrast the ethical issues associated with
implementing both solar and nuclear energy.
Solar power is environmentally safer and cleaner
than nuclear power because there is no chemical waste produced during the
production of solar energy. In contrast, vast amounts of chemical wastes
are produced during the production of nuclear energy due to the emitting of
radiation and fallout while processing. The waste of nuclear
power is very destructive and it can destroy our universe. Additionally, solar
energy is environmentally friendly and so there is no negative impact to the
surrounding environment; it doesn’t pollute air, land or water. There is no
emission from generating solar energy mainly because the plant is based on
panel boards that absorb sun rays and then transfer them to energy. On the
other hand, nuclear power is considered to be fatal to the surrounding
environment if there was a lack of process knowledge associated with improper
control procedures. The radiation and wastes emitted have detrimental effects
where land, water, ambient air and people are affected by such a radiation. It
has the potential to stop human life at a diameter of more than 2000 km from
the point of emission and distortion for people's bodies at longer distances; animals
may die and plants stop growing when the radiation of the nuclear power spread
around the plant of producing nuclear energy.
Unfortunately, nowadays nuclear weapons are used to threaten people and
countries where militaries are using nuclear weapons and bombs to threaten the
world peace. The best example to express the implementation of nuclear power is
when the USA used nuclear power in the Second World War against Japan against
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. People in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still suffering
the bad effects of the nuclear bombs up to this moment. Furthermore, gangs and
terrorists threaten to use nuclear weapons for horrifying and murdering people. Nuclear
weapons could assist terrorists in carrying out their plans of destroying and killing
people. All countries have to pay great attention and due care to the
production of nuclear power for the aim of piece.
Although the use of solar energy is shown to be ethically better than
nuclear energy, there are some other merits that make the use of nuclear energy
better than the use of solar energy. Nuclear energy has higher efficiency and productivity
than solar energy. Nuclear power is reliable and efficient. It can be produced
under any conditions and at any time from nuclear power plants unlike the sun
energy which requires sun rays to be produced. During the absence of sun rays in
the night, the rain, or winter season, it is therefore impossible to generate solar
energy; nuclear energy can be produced during day and night times.
Additionally, the productivity of nuclear plants is higher than the
productivity of solar plants. Nuclear plants produce a big
amount of electricity unlike sun energy plants. The nuclear power plant doesn't
require such a big space as other energy plants and it has to be built on the
coast where only small space is required. It is called green because it doesn’t participate in producing CO2
and other gases which are the main source of global warming and ozone
depletion. The nuclear energy is considered to be sustainable
because it is planned to be used for long years and the raw materials for the
generation of nuclear energy could be easily transported. A small amount of
uranium can produce a large amount of energy. The use of uranium to produce energy can make the country fuel independent since there is
no need to import energy from other countries. The development in nuclear
energy will help us in the field of nuclear science.
In my point of view, I insist that solar
energy is more ethical and reliable than the application of nuclear energy; however,
the energy generation of solar power is not adequate and there should be
nuclear power generated since massive amounts are possible to be generated with
uranium. Nobody could guarantee that oil could be extracted from reservoirs 20
or 30 years from now due to environmental regulations, so the world should be
capable of compensating for such a major energy source by depending on other
alternatives which is considered to be renewable energy sources. The solar
power is guaranteed to be a renewable energy source but considering the nuclear
power as a renewable energy source or not is controversial; to clarify this
point, if the uranium deposit could be proved to last as long as the
relationship between the Earth and Sun is supposed to last (5 billion years)
then nuclear energy should be considered as a renewable energy source. No other
energy alternative could be produced in adequate amounts to compensate
the viability of oil sources; therefore as a future prospect the nuclear power
generation is viable and promising and these should be extensive studies
performed to elaborate and implement nuclear power plants widely because the actual
amount of uranium deposit available is way more than what is considered
extractable right now.
References
- Advantages Of Solar Energy, (n.d), Accessed May 22, 2014 from: http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/Advantages_SolarEnergy.php
- David, (n.d), Solar Power-Advantages and Disadvantages, Accessed May 24, 2014 from: http://www.alternate-power.org/solar-power-advantages-and-disadvantages/
- Pandit, M. (June 18, 2013), Advantages and disadvantages of Nuclear Energy, Accessed May 21, 2014 from: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-nuclear-energy.html
- Nuclear Power: Advantages and Disadvantages, (n.d), Accessed May 20, 2014 from: http://www.cyberphysics.co.uk/topics/nuclear/advantages_disadvantages_nuclear_power.htm
- Nuclear energy, (n.d), Accessed May 19, 2014 from: http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/Disadvantages_NuclearEnergy.php
- Saleh, F. (December 16, 2013), Nuclear energy, Accessed May 22, 2014 from: http://prezi.com/hwpupp46vqsr/copy-of-nuclear-energy/
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