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FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCEPHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE(FSG500)
TITLE: “NUCLEAR ENERGY AS AN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCE TO MALAYSIA - IS ITMORE ETHICAL TO USE IT OR TO BAN IT”NAME: NOR EDAYU BT HAMZAHKP UiTM: 2007285584HP NO.: 019-3691194PROGRAMME: AS226GROUP: ASB3F1E-MAIL:momo_missdevochki113@yahoo.com
 
“Nuclear Energy as an Alternative Energy Source to Malaysia – Is It More Ethical To Use It or To Ban It”According to the title of this article, it seems to be a serious issue. We have to thinkabout it very deeply before deciding an ethical decision to state that whether we have to ban itor use it. Before that, let’s become familiar with the nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is theenergy that uses up uranium or plutonium as its sources to produce heat. It will undergo theprocess of nuclear fission chain reaction. Nuclear energy is controlled from one of two types of reactions, which is fission and fusion. The fission wills results on the creation of new and smaller atoms as a byproduct, radiation and more neutrons. Those neutrons creating a chain reactionby speeding out and strike other uranium or plutonium atoms. This chain reaction is varyingdepending on the design of reactor in the reaction. It is controlled by the neutron moderators.The nuclear reactor produce electricity by the heat released from this reaction. The electricitythat produces is exactly same as other thermal-based power plant. Water converts into steamby heat and the heat used to runs the moderator.The nuclear energy plant generates electricity from nuclear energy. In a specific manner,the nuclear reactor converts the heat energy generated from nuclear fission to electricity. Themoderators which are cool the fuel rods capture the heat. Moderator is also important in preventthem from melting. The common moderator used is pressurized water. It is because it has ahigh capacity to absorb heat. The pressurized water moves from primary loop to the secondaryloop through a heat exchanger. The water from the secondary loop will drives a turbine as asteam in a heat engine. The steams are often seen as evaporating from the large cooling towersof the nuclear plants. The use of nuclear energy as an alternative energy sources have to thinkas we have to build the nuclear power plant. There are of course the advantages anddisadvantages in built the nuclear power plant. I would like to discuss about the advantages anddisadvantages of the nuclear energy before state my opinion.The use of nuclear energy is said to be an environment-friendly. It means that nuclear energy gives little pollution to our environment. How it is contributed to the clean of our environment? The use of nuclear energy does not involve in fossil fuel burning. Fossil fuel-burning plants cause pollution to our air. This is due to the carbon dioxide produce from thefossil fuel burning. This would effect our depletion of protective layer, ozone. The byproductsfrom fossil fuel-burning plants may produce sulfur which is absorbed into clouds and become
 
sulfuric acid. Therefore there is little contribution to our environment. In this case, it more similar to the solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower that is clean for our environment.The productions of carbon dioxide by the nuclear power-plants are minimal. According tothe Nuclear Energy Institute, the power produce by the world’s nuclear plants would normallyproduce 2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year if they depended on fossil fuels. In fact,properly functioning nuclear power plant actually release less radioactive into the atmospherethan a coal fired power plant (source: Hvistedendahl). In the other hand, nuclear reactors do notemits greenhouse gas, in more specific carbon dioxide. It do not effects on the climate change.The world reserves of fossil fuels are running out. The sulfurous coal is more pollutingcompared to the coal that was previously used. The plant also burns anthracite. The anthraciteis also has been used up. The pollution will increase as the more soft coals are used. In fact,fossil fuel will burned up within fifty years. The new breeder reactors can produce more fuelsthan the use. This means that there are large reserves of uranium. Therefore, the use of fossilfuel burning can be changed into used of nuclear power-plant that clearly can gives littlepollution. Besides, the greenhouse gas effect can be reduced. As countries that look after for the clean alternatives to current energy sources, nuclear energy may help in achieving their targets states under the Kyoto Protocol which created the legally average greenhouse gasemission reductions between 6 to 8 percent below 1990 levels between the years 2008-2012 for many countries (UNFCC, 2009).Another advantage of the using nuclear power-plant is safety. Safety can be both proand con. In a side of pro, nuclear power-plant will produce energy by a safest method. There isno serious injured due to the reactor incidence or radiation exposure. The safety mechanismsthat have used make the chances of reactor accident are vary low. A series of barriers used toseparates the radiation and heat of reactor core from outside. The thick concrete wall surroundsthe pressure vessel. This is inside the sealed steel containment structure. The plant is also builtwith large number of sensors that pick up increases in radiation and humidity. Increases of radiation and humidity could mean there is a leak. The system in these plants will control andstop the chain reaction if necessary. An Emergency Core Cooling System ensures there isenough cooling water to control the reactor in case of an accident.Nuclear energy is independence energy and reliability. Nuclear fuels are derived fromuranium and plutonium. Uranium is exists as one of the several isotope in nature whereasplutonium is created as byproduct of nuclear fission process. There is another possibly nuclear fuel, thorium. The replacement of oil burning power to the nuclear power-plant can helping in
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