Humans Effect on Nature in the 20th Century Essay -- Essays Papers

Humans Effect on Nature in the 20th Century atomic Waste With the click of the nuclear age in the early 1900s, came a problem that became a force to be reckoned with. Its name is nuclear chase away. This is yet another destructive side effect brought on by mans stimulate to find the cheapest and well-nigh powerful source of energy technology has to offer. Nuclear waste, ranging from harmful radiation caused by nuclear meltdown to unused army weaponry, has been a serious issue in the past few decades, and is a perfect example of humans effect on nature. Many would fence that the history of nuclear energy and nuclear waste began in 1898 when Marie curie discovered two radioactive elements polonium and radium.1 The nuclear scene was comparatively quiet until 1838, when a German scientist, Otto Hahn was successful in demonstrating nuclear fission.2 This unsex off an alert that reached the ears of Theodore Roosevelt, who was President of the United States at the tim e. With the threat of Germany making a nuclear bomb, the nuclear race was on. The Manhattan Project was launched in an labor to secretly build a nuclear bomb before the Germans. The most commonly known events in nuclear waste history were the go about catastrophic meltdowns at Three Mile Island nuclear power comprise in Pennsylvania, and Chernobyl power plant in The Soviet Union. Radiation outflow was minimal at Three Mile Island, however, Chernobyl experienced the release of commodious quantities of radioactive materials accompanied by a dangerous fire.3 People from entirely nations came in contact with radioactive particles which the wind blew around the Earth. These two events sparked nuclear awareness by the general public as well as governmental programs that... ...only aid in cleaning up and preventing nuclear waste, that also to inform and educate the public. Until more effective methods of nuclear waste management are devised, the energy hungry U.S. will have to throw up up with the environmental parasite it has created. Notes 1. Curie, Marie Funk and Wagnalls 27 Mar. 1999 2. Hahn, Otto Funk and Wagnalls 3. Meshkati, Chernobyl 27 March, 1999 4. Konrad B. Kauskopf, Radioactive Waste Disposal and Geology (London Chapman and Hall, 1988) 10-11 5. conglomerate waste 28 March, 1999 6. mixed waste 28 March, 1999 7. Yucca Mountain Homepage 28 March, 1999