Following a major earthquake, a 15-metre tsunami disabled the power supply and cooling of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors, causing a nuclear accident on March 11th 2011 that would reintroduce to the world the question of “Should the use of nuclear energy continue?” Fukushima and many other critical junctures since the start of the first nuclear reactor in Idaho, in December 1951, have influenced changing attitudes towards nuclear energy throughout time. Nuclear power is one of the primary sources of energy, it provided over 19% of the total electrical output in the United States alone. (World nuclear association). While at some points of history the world seemed to favor the existence of nuclear energy, the constant
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On November 22, 1961, the United States commissioned the nuclear powered ship, U.S.S.S Enterprise, the world’s largest ship. Certain energy companies began using claiming nuclear energy as economic friendly energy compared to fossil fuels. Three nuclear-powered surface ships, the Enterprise, Long Beach, and Bainbridge ,complete “Operation Sea Orbit, “an around-the-world cruise.1965 April 3, the first nuclear reactor in space (SNAP-10A) is launched by the United States. SNAP stands for Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power. However, as the demand for nuclear energy shifted in the late 1960’s the perceptions and attitudes towards nuclear energy turned sour and the proliferation was reduced. Before discussing possible reasons for the negative attitudes towards nuclear energy it would be beneficiary to first unveil the mystery behind the nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. The fear that this technology can both be an energy tool and a weapon still lingered on, so during that time in 1957 October 1, The United Nations created the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and prevent the spread of nuclear weapons around the …show more content…
Researchers have many reasons to explain the never ending and shifting stigma of nuclear energy. Some researchers claim that the root cause is psychological. At the start of nuclear energy in the early 1950’s to the late 1960’s there was growing support for nuclear energy all across the United States and in other countries like Russia who were also developing their own nuclear energy programs. This can be tied to the risk-benefit analysis. At that time the world was under a stringent energy demand. The introduction of nuclear energy sparked a revolution in the energy field. It was more effective in producing energy than many energy sources like solar, hydro, and wind. By the early years of the 1970’s nuclear energy was producing 2.4% of the United States energy. Public opinion of nuclear energy seemed to be in favor. Once the United States lost the strong demand for energy around the early 1970’s the public began to raise awareness on the threat that nuclear energy possess. There were national security concerns, waste pollution concerns, and safety concerns. The growing concerns of nuclear expansion pushed the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Russia, and France to ratify the Non-Proliferation Treaty of Nuclear Weapons with 45 other nations. This treaty was an agreement to stop any expansion of nuclear weapons and to establish peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Every decade begins to see the same
On November 22, 1961, the United States commissioned the nuclear powered ship, U.S.S.S Enterprise, the world’s largest ship. Certain energy companies began using claiming nuclear energy as economic friendly energy compared to fossil fuels. Three nuclear-powered surface ships, the Enterprise, Long Beach, and Bainbridge ,complete “Operation Sea Orbit, “an around-the-world cruise.1965 April 3, the first nuclear reactor in space (SNAP-10A) is launched by the United States. SNAP stands for Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power. However, as the demand for nuclear energy shifted in the late 1960’s the perceptions and attitudes towards nuclear energy turned sour and the proliferation was reduced. Before discussing possible reasons for the negative attitudes towards nuclear energy it would be beneficiary to first unveil the mystery behind the nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. The fear that this technology can both be an energy tool and a weapon still lingered on, so during that time in 1957 October 1, The United Nations created the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and prevent the spread of nuclear weapons around the …show more content…
Researchers have many reasons to explain the never ending and shifting stigma of nuclear energy. Some researchers claim that the root cause is psychological. At the start of nuclear energy in the early 1950’s to the late 1960’s there was growing support for nuclear energy all across the United States and in other countries like Russia who were also developing their own nuclear energy programs. This can be tied to the risk-benefit analysis. At that time the world was under a stringent energy demand. The introduction of nuclear energy sparked a revolution in the energy field. It was more effective in producing energy than many energy sources like solar, hydro, and wind. By the early years of the 1970’s nuclear energy was producing 2.4% of the United States energy. Public opinion of nuclear energy seemed to be in favor. Once the United States lost the strong demand for energy around the early 1970’s the public began to raise awareness on the threat that nuclear energy possess. There were national security concerns, waste pollution concerns, and safety concerns. The growing concerns of nuclear expansion pushed the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Russia, and France to ratify the Non-Proliferation Treaty of Nuclear Weapons with 45 other nations. This treaty was an agreement to stop any expansion of nuclear weapons and to establish peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Every decade begins to see the same