Essay on “Our Country’s Only Feasible Solution—Plutonium Complete Essay for Class 9, Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Our Country’s Only Feasible Solution—Plutonium

Should we begin to manufacture one of the most destructive and infamous substances on the Earth once again? The engineers say yes, but the public says no. But with the continuing problem with our ever-diminishing energy sources, some want us to begin using more nuclear energy and less energy from natural resources. It is a radioactive metallic element that is used in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. When anyone mentioned plutonium or the word “nuclear” the idea of Hiroshima or Nagasaki being destroyed was the first thing people thought about. No one could even ponder the idea that it could be used for other more constructive things like sources of energy or to kept a person’s heart beating. Along with reactors, sometimes comes a melt-down, which can produce harmful effects if it isn’t controlled quickly enough. After such instances as the Hanford, Washington reactor melt-down and the accident in the U.S.S.R. at the Chernobyl site, no one wanted to hear about the use of plutonium. But people need to understand the advantages to using plutonium and that the disadvantages are not as catastrophic as they seem.

With the turn of the century on its way, the re-emergence of plutonium production will need to be a reality for us to continue our way of life. Plutonium can be found fifteen different forms, or isotopes and their mass number can range from 232-246. The three major advantages to using this element are for an energy source, power for nuclear propulsion in space exploration and thermo-electric generators. The first use for plutonium, nuclear power, is obviously the most beneficial use. Plutonium 239 can be used to power nuclear reactors. The average nuclear reactor contains about 325 kilograms of plutonium within its uranium fuel. This complements the uranium fission process. With the continually decreasing supply of coal and oil to power our nation, we need a substitute to complement our energy needs and right now the best replacement is that of nuclear energy. Nuclear power plants do not use as much fuel as the plants burning coal and oil. One ton of uranium produces more energy than several million tons of coal, and plutonium can produce much more energy than uranium.

Also the burning of coal and oil pollute our air and the last thing we need is more pollution to worsen the greenhouse effect. Nuclear power plants cannot contaminate the environment because they do not release any type, of pollution. Power comes from the fission process of an atom of the element and produces over ten million times the energy produced by an atom of carbon from coal.  One kilogram of plutonium consumed for three years in a reactor can produce heat to give ten million kilowatt-hours of electricity. The second major use for plutonium is for space exploration with its ability to power nuclear propulsion.

Nuclear electric systems provide very low thrust levels and use only very small amounts of fuel during the voyage. Using electric propulsion also allows the use of less fuel making the spacecraft launch weight much lower than it would be with chemical fuel. The thermo-electric generator, which is powered by radionuclide batteries, that powers the pacemaker uses Pu-238. One of the obvious uses of plutonium, whether is an advantage or disadvantage, is for weaponry. It is an advantage if we need to use it against a foe, but it is disadvantageous if our foes use it for us. In 1986, a reactor located in Russia at the Chernobyl power plant had a melt-down and radiation escaped from the plant. Several dozen died from this incident. Nuclear explosions produce radiation. When it comes within human contact, radiation hurts cells, which can sicken people. The cause of the Chernobyl melt-down was mostly because of human error. They tried to perform an experiment at a time when they shouldn’t have, and many people paid for their incompetence. There are waste disposal problems that occur with the use of nuclear reactors. Waste also produces radiation, which can be lethal. Since waste can hurt and kill people who come in contact with the substance, it cannot be thrown away in a dumpster like other garbage. Waste has to be put in cooling pools or storage tanks at the site of the reactors. Another problem is that the reactors can last for a maximum of fifty years. The second route plutonium can take to be hazardous is through open wounds. This form of contact is very rare and basically cannot happen if the element is handled correctly with protective measures such as correct clothing and health monitor procedures.

The last, main threat to our society comes from inhalation. If inhaled, plutonium is exhaled on the next breath or gotten rid off through the mucous flow from the throat and bronchial system and released as with ingestion. However, some could get trapped  and put into the blood stream or lymph nodes. This has the possibility to cause cancer in the future. After considering all these factors, whether they are advantages or disadvantages, it is obvious that the use of plutonium is, in fact, feasible and the disadvantages are highly unlikely to affect your health and well-being. You probably should be more worried about dying in an automobile accident or a plane crash.