Nuclear Weapons (Dangerous)
Essay Preview: Nuclear Weapons (Dangerous)
Report this essay
Nuclear weapons are considered threats to the human race and have made the world an insecure residence for living organisms. Nuclear weapons are destructive weapons that obtain its force from nuclear fission and nuclear fusion reactions. Both of these procedures use the process of either splitting the atomic particles apart or joined together to absorb maximum energy. The questioning possibility of generating cumulative energy through the splitting of atoms was discussed during Rutherford’s time but was created through the famous equation of Albert Einstein in WWII. Nuclear Weapons were first conducted in Socorro, New Mexico on July 16, 1945 then used in WWII on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan. Decades later, nuclear weapons were a start in developing a new source of energy, nuclear energy. It was introduced and used in these modern days with precautions. Soon incidents occurred. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant experienced nuclear meltdown resulting release of radiation causing a series of destruction. I, myself as a student, strongly reject the statement that “nuclear weapons have made the world a safer place”.
Each individual have different opinions. Some may reject my thesis because nuclear weapons introduced us to a new source of energy as I mentioned earlier, nuclear energy. Nuclear energy was the new hope of solving our global warming problem and cheap power. Although it doesn’t release carbon emissions, toxic waste and radiation are still produced after the reaction. These toxic wastes are more harmful than carbon emissions because of its ability to contaminate humans through inhalation or absorption. In addition, these wastes stay radioactive for thousands of years.
Nuclear weapons maybe destructive but some may say because of its destructiveness, nations would fear to use them. Therefore, if it was used to ensure security, it wouldn’t be a problem. But if we were had to have a nuclear war, all mankind would be wiped out with every organism living on earth. According to the past events, there were incidents that led to launching “little boy and fat man” to Nagasaki and Hiroshima. If these events were to happen again, having these weapons disarmed would be safer in ensuring worldwide security.
Many people state that nuclear weapons can be beneficial in many ways if it was in the right hands and taken in precautions. Although this statement may be true, nuclear weapons are still not in a secured position. It represents a sign of world security. If it were to drop it into the foul hands of terrorists, the world could receive critical damage. Considering the facts, the best resolution to all of these discussions would be worldwide disarmament of nuclear weapons.
“Today I can declare my hope and declare it from the bottom of my heart that we will eventually see the time when that number of nuclear weapons is down to zero and the world is a much better place.” was quoted by Colin Powell, US Secretary of State. Nuclear weapons can lead us to a huge catastrophe. Those within approximately a six square mile area will be close enough to “ground zero” to be killed by gamma rays emitting from the blast of 1 megaton atomic bomb. Victims wouldn’t be able to literary know what hit them, since they will be vaporized before electrical signals from their sense organs arrive their brains. With victims killed and lucky ones survived, they would be suffering from agonizing injuries. With the immediate explosion, the light produced would permanently blind every living thing including animals and humans even with their eyes closed. People who were lucky enough to survive will be also be affected by radiation poisoning. This is because the internal molecular structure of the living cells within people’s bodies is breaking down due to the effects of high radiation dose they received. Also, from this radiation there is a possibility of receiving cancer or leukemia.
In the graph above, it shows the amount of dead survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki who received leukemia and other cancers by being exposed to different rates of rads (unit o radiation) during 1950-1978. Considering the graph, people who were exposed in a higher rate of radiation had a higher dead population. Other than this, nuclear weapons produce EMP waves (Electromagnetic Pulse) which electrifies all sorts of metallic structures paralyzing the whole electric system. A regular atomic bomb can wipe out 70% of America’s electricity devices.
This graph above shows how different alitudes of burst affects the area by an electromagnetic pulse. If the height of the burst is 30 miles, will affect at least a damage circle of 480 miles. EMP waves is dependent on the height of bursts. Therefore, countries being in possesion of nuclear weapons can cause future war with worldwide destructions. Condersing the potential destruction it makes, this makes it tempting for terrorist groups to accquire it. By having more nuclear weapons , it increases the posssibilty of the nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands.
With more than half of the world equipped with nuclear weapons according to the diagram above, it shows how easy terrorists can achieve in transporting nuclear weapons around. Red colored countries represents the nuclear weapon states from the Non-proliferation Treaty with dark orange representing countries possesing nuclear weapons. The purple color indicates the countries that have formely known to posses nuclear weapons and the light orange color countries are suspected for being in the process of developing