Uses and Legal Considerations Regarding Nuclear Energy

Uses and Legal Considerations Regarding Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy is called atomic energy because it has a direct relationship with the atomic nuclei of the elements and reshapes the bonds between atoms through the processes of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, through which atomic bonds are broken or formed. Which results in the release of a huge amount of energy. Nuclear fission also occurs as a result of dividing the nucleus of an atom or atoms into smaller atoms in special devices called nuclear reactors, which are mainly used in power plants.

Nuclear fusion is the process of combining atoms together to form a larger atom, and it is the basic process responsible for supplying the sun with energy, as the process begins with the protons that consist of a single hydrogen nucleus inside the sun’s core.

By going through several stages that end with the fusion of protons together and turning them into helium, and as a result of this transformation, enormous energy is released that radiates from the core to the rest of the sun. Though the term “nuclear energy” is always associated with wars and weapons, it can benefit humanity, particularly when it comes to its role in technology, medicine, energy, and space exploration.

This is especially true for electricity generation, with nuclear energy making continuous electricity generation possible as one of life’s indispensable priorities. The use of nuclear energy to generate electricity occurs as a result of the nuclear fission process of uranium atoms inside nuclear reactors, which results in high heat that in turn heats water to the boiling point. The water vapor rises to reach the turbines in the nuclear power station, which resemble large windmills, water steam drives turbines and spins, generating electricity. Nuclear stations cool the rising water vapor again in a separate part located in the nuclear station called the cooling tower, or it can be dispensed in any natural body of water so that the cooled water is then reused in the electricity generation cycle again and continues to be supplied. Although nuclear energy is an inexpensive and reliable method of use, its by-products have raised controversy in many issues related to environmental and water pollution.

Nuclear medicine is one of the branches of medicine that relies primarily on nuclear energy. The most prominent of these techniques is the cobalt 60 technology, which uses gamma rays to sterilize many medical products and tools, such as gloves, syringes, clothes, and tools that heat sterilization leads to damage are considered economical techniques and have better effectiveness than heat sterilization techniques using steam. This is especially the case regarding heat-sensitive items, such as ointments, solutions, and biological preparations. In addition, nuclear energy is used in nuclear medicine in radiology.

Nuclear energy is effective in the field of food and agriculture, as nuclear technology is used to raise the level of effectiveness and safety in the process of sterilizing agricultural pests instead of using pesticides. It works to completely eliminate insect reproduction. Not only that, but it also works on testing foods to ensure the disappearance of harmful substances and pollutants, in order to prevent their harm from being transmitted to livestock or humans. This technology is one of the good technologies to improve the quality of agricultural products and the safety of their consumption.

Pros and cons of nuclear energy:

The operational cost of producing electricity is low compared to the cost of producing energy from fossil fuels, but the initial construction cost of nuclear power plants is very high.

A stable source of energy that is not affected by any external factors such as climate, but there is a possibility of nuclear accidents and explosions, and their impact will be long-term if they occur.

Stable and permanent energy production and the possibility of integrating it with renewable energy sources such as; Wind and solar energy, but the danger of radioactive waste resulting from nuclear energy production if it is not stored safely, which leads to environmental pollution.

Environmentally friendly, as it does not produce any carbon emissions during its operation. However, the impact on the environment is negative through the uranium enrichment process if a quantity of radioactive particles remains behind it; Which leads to it leaking into nearby water sources and polluting them.

Availability of fuel in sufficient and abundant quantities. However, there are limited supplies of nuclear fuel for the stock of uranium and thorium, which must eventually run out; Because of their reliance on the nuclear fission process to generate energy, and they have not yet found a way to create a nuclear reactor from nuclear fusion.

It achieves a high energy density compared to the energy density produced from fossil fuels such as gas and oil, equivalent to 8,000 times, but the need for a lot of water makes its use an obstacle in countries that suffer from scarcity of water and rain.

In the future, nuclear energy will contribute significantly to achieving sustainable development with the increase in the world’s population and the increase in demand and need for energy. This is achieved by obtaining the production of a type of energy that is characterized by being environmentally friendly and economical in cost and provides a sufficient amount of energy to cover the needs of future innovations and industries, and contributes to climate change resistance

Technological development is now creating more innovative designs to create and manufacture nuclear reactors that are characterized by safety, efficiency, higher productivity, waste production, and less environmental damage, making nuclear energy the best option for achieving sustainability in energy production. In addition, future innovative plans are currently being contributed to by allocating funding between the private sector and governments to increase the pace of technological developments and deal more professionally with the high investment cost allocated to building nuclear power plants and infrastructure

The role of nuclear security has emerged on the scientific security scene, which is concerned with prevention, detection, and taking appropriate measures regarding the illegal and criminal use of nuclear materials or any other radioactive material or the facilities related to it.

Nuclear law is undergoing rapid developments in order to strengthen nuclear safety. We have seen international agreements on nuclear safety after the Chernobyl disaster, and we have also seen how objective nuclear civil liability provisions legally focused on the operator also aim to strengthen this safety. After the Fukushima accident, nuclear safety authorities around the world took new measures to achieve this goal.

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