When risks are inevitable in such a society like the one in which we live in today, it is important that the implications of government regulation for technologies for which the public demand is present and the safety issues are not determined or resolved as yet, be addressed. This paper addresses the use of nuclear power for the betterment of mankind and concentrates on the disadvantages and advantages of having such technologies present in our society.
Nuclear energy has played an influential part of our lives, by providing a clean and reliable source of energy. Nuclear Energy is energy released during the splitting or fusing of atomic nuclei. The energy of any system, whether physical, chemical, or nuclear, is manifested by the system's ability to do work or to release heat or radiation. The total energy in a system is always conserved, but it can be transferred to another system or changed in form.
Removal of very low-level waste
Yucca Mountain
English: Nuclear Waste Container coming out of Nev...Nuclear energy fuels about 20% of the US electrical energy. Questions about the safety and economy of nuclear power created perhaps the most emotional battle fought over energy. As the battle heated during the late 1970s, nuclear advocates argued that no realistic alternative existed to increased reliance on nuclear power. They recognized that some problems remain but maintained that solutions would be found. Nuclear opponents, on the other hand, emphasized a number of unanswered questions about the environment: What are the effects of low-level radiation over long periods? What is the likelihood of a major accident at a nuclear power plant? What would be the consequences of such an accident? How can nuclear power's waste products, which will remain dangerous for centuries, be permanently isolated from the environment? These safety questions helped cause changes in specifications for and delays in the construction of nuclear power plants,