Nuclear Energy And The Future Power Debate

Nuclear Energy And The Future Power Debate Thesis statement: Regardless of the various definitions of renewable, nuclear meets every reasonable criterion for sustainability, which is the prime concern. The main reasons are first it produces the most energy than any non-renewable resource, second high reserves of uranium are found on earth which is the raw material for nuclear reactors; third there is no release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbon during a nuclear reaction, fourth plutonium, a by-product of commercial nuclear plant operation, can also be used as a fuel, fifth the amount of waste produced is the least of any major energy production process and finally the nuclear fuel is inexpensive and easier to transport. The rise of global warming concerns throughout the world over the last ten years have led to a renewed interest in what was once considered a dead market-nuclear energy. After the Cold War, nuclear energy development was largely forgotten for many years until this r enewed desire among developed nations for alternative energy sources once again thrust the idea of nuclear power into mainstream consciousness. As the price of oil and global warming concerns both continue to rise steadily, a renewed interest in the clean-burning properties of nuclear power are becoming much more attractive. Although there are various risks involved when using nuclear energy, I will argue that nuclear energy is the best source of energy to replace oil and also I will argue that nuclear energy wastes are treatable, can be recycled and possess no threat to mankind. Among the various advantages of nuclear energy, its efficiency is by far the most important. The efficient use of natural resources is a major criterion in determining the environmental friendliness of a source of energy. It is a basic energy fact that the fission of an atom of uranium produces 10 million times the energy from an atom of carbon than does coal. Nuclear energy extracts by far more energy from the natural resource Uranium than does the exploitation of oil or any other natural resource. In 1950s Dr. M. Hubbard, Geologist at Shell, said that US Oil would peak in 10 to 15 years. He was laughed at and in the 1970s we ran out of Oil. His statement was based on a Discovery Bell Curve which said oil production continues to go up even after the oil discoverys drop off and that the rate that we run out of oil can be measured on the lack of new discoveries. Heres a quote from NEIs website: Nuclear plants are the lowest-cost producer of baseload electricity. The average production cost of 1.87 cents per kilowatt-hour includes the costs of operating and maintaining the plant, purchasing fuel and paying for the management of used fuel. These facts prove nuclear energy as the most efficient form of energy over its competitors, including oil, coal, wind, hydroelectric, and near-term solar power. Some people may be under the impression that uranium is a rare metal but its about as common as copper or tin and 40 times more common than silver. Sources of nuclear energy mainly uranium, on Earth are abundant, which makes this resource similar to renewable resources. According to the NEA (Nuclear Energy Agency), uranium resources of total 5.5 million metric tons and an additional 10.5 million metric tons remain undiscovered-a roughly 230-year supply at todays consumption rate in total. Bernard Cohens, Professor of Physics at Pittsburgh University, 5 billion year estimate is based on extracting uranium from seawater, which the Japanese have already shown to work. Cohen calculates that we could take 16,000 ton per year of uranium from seawater, which would supply 25 times the worlds present electricity usage and twice the worlds present total energy consumption. He argues that given the geological cycles of erosion, subduction and uplift, the supply would last for 5 billion years wi th a withdrawal rate of 6,500 ton per year. He comments that lasting 5 billion years, i.e. longer than the sun will support life on earth, should cause uranium to be considered a renewable resource. Among the many benefits of nuclear power, the main advantage of nuclear power has over other methods is that it is a clean way to produce energy as it does not result in the emission of any of the poisonous gases like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or nitrogen dioxide. In todays world when pollution of the atmosphere is one of our main worries, an option such as this is definitely preferable compared to burning of fossil fuels which causes so much of pollution (Dujardin 2007). Also, the creation of nuclear energy doesnt contribute to environmental issues such as global warming as it doesnt release carbon dioxide in the atmosphere like the fossil fuels do. More importantly, fossil fuels reserves across the world are bound to get exhausted at some or the other point of time. Going by the alarming rate at which we are using them, it is predicted that, the coal and oil deposits across the world are expected to finish by end of this century. On the other hand, the uranium deposits on the planet are to continue for a long time, and even if they end alternative sources in form of plutonium and thorium also exist. Nuclear energy is also considered to be renewable depending on the type of reactor that is being used. The special type of reactor design called a breeder reactor can create or refine radioactive elements as a part of its functioning (Young, 1998). There are breeder designs that, once operating, can refine uranium, turning even natural uranium into fuel-grade uranium that can be used by other standard reactors. Some breeder designs create plutonium as a byproduct, which can be used for either power generation or in nuclear weapons. Currently, there are 442 reactors operating in the world, 130 of which are in the United States. Another 12 are being built in foreign countries. With the current technology, only 1% of the energy available in uranium is able to be captured by thermal reactors. This energy makes up between 11% and 18% of the total energy available in the world. Developing technologies that would allow us to capture more of this available energy is at least 15 years away, b ut with incentives, these advances could be a realistic part of our future. The potential is not the only part of the advantages of nuclear energy. The uranium is reasonably cheap to mine, and easy to transport to reactors around the globe, making nuclear energy relatively inexpensive to produce when compared to conventional methods of energy production. The average finished cost of nuclear energy is between 3 and 5 cents per kilowatt, and the cost has dropped over the last 26 years, while the cost of other forms of energy has risen steadily over the same period of time (Makhijani Saleska, 1999). The potential is not the only part of the advantages of nuclear energy. Regardless of the various definitions of renewable, nuclear power therefore meets every reasonable criterion for sustainability, which is the prime concern. Concern about the proper disposal of nuclear wastes is one of the most controversial aspects of nuclear power. Nuclear wastes are radioactive and so long-lived that very special arrangements must be made for disposal. The focus and controversy are about high-level wastes, which are the minority of waste from a reactor but comprise the majority of the radioactivity. The waste is generated when utilities remove the spent fuel. The spent fuel rods are very hot and contain both remaining radioactive fuel and other highly radioactive fission products. The plant operator must shield the rods with water by placing them in tanks or ponds at the reactor sites. Industry has to maintain control and is responsible for storage until the final disposal site can be arranged. In the United States, utilities store all spent fuel temporarily at reactor sites. No permanent depository for high-level wastes exists. Industry argues that the management of wastes has been very successful. They report that there have not been any releases that have had adverse impacts and the costs are internalized. Despite their claims of success, their remains significant concerns of long-term disposal. Both, the disadvantages and advantages of nuclear power plants have to be taken into consideration when determining whether this source of energy is efficient for development of power or not. While the critics of nuclear energy have been citing the various nuclear power plant disasters that have occurred in the past as one of the main reason for refraining from use of nuclear energy, its proponents are confident that it has the ability to sustain the energy requirements of the entire world, in a safe manner. Overall, however, I believe that the use of nuclear energy greatly outweighs any other sources of energy.

Elements of Religious Tradition

Elements of Religious Traditions Paper Defining a religion can be a difficult task and there is no simple definition that can completely describe it. Every culture and society has some form of religion and some maybe specific to that culture and not practiced anywhere else in the world (Fontaine, 2013; Molloy, 2010). The vast diversity of religious traditions can be discerned by examining their understanding of what is sacred. For example, many religions believe in a single deity that is held sacred.Other religious traditions do not place emphasis on deities, but believe that the world itself is the sacred (2010). In spite of this diversity, all religious traditions share broad components: what does a religious tradition communicate, how is it performed, and how is it organized. When a anthropologists and sociologist choose to study various religious traditions, they can encounter a number of issues that can impact their study, such as, incomplete religious texts, and traditions that are passed on orally (2010). Components of Religious TraditionsThe first component is what does a religious tradition communicate? These are the various teachings, texts, stories, and myths. Religious teachings are the ideas and principles passed on that describe core beliefs, values, morals, etc. of a religious tradition (Molloy, 2010). These can be expressed through stories or myths. Religious teachings can be passed orally between members or written in a scared text. Religious teachings attempt to communicate an understanding of the sacred within the tradition to its members.In Christian traditions, the basic ideas revolve around the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was the embodiment of the sacred within these traditions (Woodhead, 2009). For the Igbo people of Nigeria, there main beliefs involve the Earth as being sacred and that the world is comprised of a number of different realms (Molloy, 2010). These contrasting examples show the diverse nature of religious traditions and how they share the common component of what is communicated by a particular religious tradition. The second element is how a religious tradition is performed?This is accomplished through prayer, worship, the undertaking of a pilgrimage to a holy site, or the performance of a ritual. The specific ceremonies observed for a specific religious tradition is based on the religious teachings for that particular tradition. What all of these have in common is that each ceremony is meant to bring the individual closer to the sacred within reach tradition. For example, in Islamic traditions it is a worshiper’s duty to make a pilgrimage to Mecca (Brown, 2009). In Christian traditions, worshipers pray to Jesus in a church or throughout their day (Woodhead, 2009).In many Native American religious traditions, a rite of passage is preformed through a vision quest; where the individual attempts to find spiritual guidance and meaning (Molloy, 2010). All of these traditions attem pt to move the individual closer the sacred and attempt to connect in a meaningful way. The final aspect is how is a religious tradition organized. This describes the structure of it, for example, the leadership and how members relate to one another. Once again, this is based on that religious tradition’s teachings. The organization describes how members of the tradition relate to the sacred.Specifically, does an ordain individual need to act as an intermediate between the sacred and the individual or who are the individuals that decide what is considered sacred within a religious tradition. In many religious traditions, the priest, priestess, and other high religious figures are held with the highest regard (Molloy, 2010). In Catholicism, the Pope is viewed as the absolute head of that religious tradition and his word is essentially law (Balmer & Pullella, 2013). In a number of religious traditions, a shaman is viewed as a person with vast wisdom.He or she has the powers to communicate directly with the sacred and acts as an intermediate for various individuals (Molloy, 2010). In the ancient Greek tradition, the Oracle of Delphi was an important woman, individuals from all around the Greek world would come seeking her advice and to communicate with the Gods (Legon, 2013). Ultimately, an important component of a religious tradition is how it is organized. This organization has the important role of stating the power structure and how members can communicate with the sacred. Critical Issues in Religious StudiesThere are a number of different critical issues that one needs to consider when studying religious traditions. The first is that some religious texts might be incomplete or entirely missing (Molloy, 2010). This can be extremely troublesome when a person is attempting to understand a given tradition that might be lacking important components. For example, a sacred text written on a stone tablet might be missing large sections of the text, which coul d contain important rituals or principles for that tradition. This is extremely difficult with ancient religious traditions such as the Egyptian, Roman, and Greek traditions (2010).This leads into the second critical issue is that the religious tradition might not have a sacred text or any written record, because traditions, stories, and myths might be passed orally. This is extremely trouble some for many people studying religions (Molloy, 2010). For example, there might be a limited amount of individuals that have the traditions. This is the case with many Native American religious traditions, because members passed on these important teachings orally and may people have may stopped practicing.This can cause a religious tradition to be lost (2010). Also, oral traditions can be corrupted with time and might not resemble the original story that was originally told. A storyteller might change aspects or merge it with other stories from another religious tradition. All of these are im portant issues to consider when studying religious traditions. Conclusion In spite of this diversity, all religious traditions share several broad components: what does a religious tradition communicate, how is it performed, and how is it organized.Every religious tradition shares these common principles and this allows individuals the ability to understand each religious tradition and how they compare with one another. Also, studying religious traditions can have a number of critical issues that have to be addressed in order to full appreciate the vast collection of human religion. Reference Balmer, C. , & Pullella, P. (2013, March 14). New pope urges church to return to its gospel roots. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www. reuters. com/article/2013/03/14/us-pope-idUSBRE92D05P20130314 Brown, D. (2009).A new introduction to islam. (2nd ed. ). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Fontaine, C. R. (2013). Religion. In Public libraries. Retrieved from http://www. worldbookonline. com/pl/refere ncecenter/article? id=ar464360 Molloy, M. (2010). Experiencing the world’s religions: Traditions, challenged, and change (5th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Woodhead, L. (2009). An introduction to christianity. Cambridge: University Press. Legon, R. P. (2013). Delphi. In Public Libraries. Retrieved from http://www. worldbookonline. com/pl/referencecenter/article? id=ar153420

Wee shall be as a City upon a Hill Essay

God almighty in His most holy and wise providence hath so disposed of the condition of mankind, as in all times some must be rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity, others mean and in subjection. Reason: First, to hold conformity with the rest of His works, being delighted to show forth the glory of His wisdom in the variety and difference of the creatures and the glory of His power, in ordering all these differences for the preservation and good of the whole. Reason: Secondly, that He might have the more occasion to manifest the work of His spirit. First, upon the wicked in moderating and restraining them, so that the rich and mighty should not eat up the poor, nor the poor and despised rise up against their superiors and shake off their yoke. Secondly, in the regenerate in exercising His graces in them, as in the great ones, their love, mercy, gentleness, temperance, etc., in the poor and inferior sort, their faith, patience, obedience, etc. Reason: Thirdly, that every man might have need of other, and from hence they might all be knit more nearly together in the bond of brotherly affection. From hence it appears plainly that no man is made more honorable than another, or more wealthy, etc., out of any particular and singular respect to himself, but for the glory of his creator and the common good of the creature, man. Thus stands the cause between God and us. We are entered into covenant with Him for this work, we have taken out a commission, the Lord hath given us leave to draw our own articles we have professed to enterprise these actions upon these and these ends, we have hereupon besought Him of favor and blessing. Now if the Lord shall please to hear us, and bring us in peace to the place we desire, then hath He ratified this covenant and sealed our commission, [and] will expect a strict performance of the articles contained in it, but if we shall neglect the observations of these articles which are the ends we have propounded, and dissembling with our God, shall fall to embrace this present world and prosecute our carnal intentions seeking great things for ourselves and our posterity, the Lord will surely break out in wrath against us, be revenged of such a perjured people, and make us know the price of the breach of such a covenant. Now the only way to avoid this shipwreck and to provide for our posterity is to follow the counsel of Micah, to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God. For this end we must be knit together in this work as one man, we must entertain each other in brotherly affection, we must be willing to abridge ourselves of our superfluities for the supply of others’ necessities, we must uphold a familiar commerce together in all meekness, gentleness, patience, and liberality, we must delight in each other, make others’ conditions our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, our community as members of the same body So shall we keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. The Lord will be our God and delight in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness, and truth than formerly we have been acquainted with. We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies, when He shall make us a praise and glory, that men shall say of succeeding plantations, the Lord make it like that of New England. For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and byword throughout the world, we shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God and all professors for God’s sake, we shall shame the faces of many of God’s worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whither we are going. And to shut up this discourse with that exhortation of Moses, that faithful servant of the Lord in His last farewell to Israel, Deut. 30., Beloved there is now set before us life and good, death and evil, in that we are commanded this day to love the Lord our God, and to love one another, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His ordinance, and His laws, and the articles of our covenant with Him that we may live and be multiplied, and that the Lord our God my bless us in the land whither we go to possess it. But if our hearts shall turn away so that we will not obey, but shall be seduced and worship other Gods, our pleasures, our profits, and serve them, it is propounded unto us this day we shall surely perish out of the good land whither we pass over this vast sea to possess it. Therefore let us choose life, that we, and our seed, may live, and by obeying His voice, and cleaving to Him, for He is our life and our prosperity. View as multi-pages

The Snows Of Conflict By Ernest Hemingway - 1777 Words

Frederick O’Keefe Lit 315 Final Essay Module 7 The Snows of Conflict Many believe Ernest Hemingway to be one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Hemingway was influential in the modernist movement that took place after the First World War. The lost generation created their voice, and Hemingway was helped to lead the chorus that shifted American literature. His writing style and narration were concise and direct with little in the way of the conflict that builds in his stories. The Snows of Kilimanjaro is one such work where the conflict is chiefly internal yet is shown through an inner and external description that could add to an evaluation of this short story. An examination of how Earnest Hemingway’s prose and narrative style added to the internal conflict of Harry in The Snows of Kilimanjaro will help to appreciate Hemingway’s style of prose and his relationship with the typical person. The modernist movement that took place soon after the beginning of the twentieth century was affected by the most horrific war know n The war lead many to question the events of life, death, what is important, and how we view everything. Ernest Hemingway is considered to be a leader of that movement. To appreciate how he makes use of his prose and narrative and how they add to the conflict there must be an understanding of what those terms are and what the modernist movement in literature is. The Norton Anthology describes prose as â€Å"the regular form of spoken andShow MoreRelatedErnest Hemingway: A Brief Biography 1210 Words   |  5 PagesErnest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1899. He was a writer who started his career with a newspaper office in Kansas City when he was seventeen. When the United States got involved in the First World War, Hemingway joined with a volunteer ambulance unit in the Italian army. 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