engleski

Nuclear Energy; from Swords to Ploughshares

There cannot be any doubt that the promise of nuclear energy is one of the greatest offered to man. For overpopulated and exhausted Earth salvation is in energy, to feed the population through energy intensive agriculture, to reuse resources by recycling. Modern transport, communications, housing etc, everything which constitutes the standard of living of developed world can be very directly translated into energy. Although the relationship between the artefact and the energy required to produce it can be more or less efficient, it cannot be circumvented. So, unless the right to develop and enjoy higher standard of living be denied to the underdeveloped billions of the world, much more energy will be needed in future. However, already we are facing the limits in expansion of energy consumption. A greenhouse effect and the related climate changes demand that a brake be put on the use of fossil fuels. So what are the prospects? Scientifically speaking they are excellent. There are two inexhaustible energy sources on which to build the future development; solar energy and nuclear energy. A case of solar energy is a straightforward one, in principle, at least. It is the case of solving technical problems to make it economically attractive and competitive. When and if this is achieved there will be no political barriers to its massive use. The case of nuclear energy is very different. Although already developed to economic competitiveness, its massive future use poses enormous political problems, because of the undeniable connection between the peaceful use and the possibility of military abuse of nuclear technology. Although the promise of nuclear energy is enormous, correspondingly great are the preconditions for its safe large scale use. However, if these preconditions are also conducive to a better, more united world, then it is worthwhile to work in that direction. Nuclear energy should be considered neither from the narrow technical point of view, nor from the point of view which neglects the needs and rights of the large part of humanity.

nuclear energy; history; hydrogen economy; nuclear proliferation safety

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