Student Corner Is it safe to use nuclear energy?

By Lee Won-ju

Concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants are rising in Korea and other countries following the earthquake and tsunami that crippled a Japanese nuclear power plant. Although there were continuous arguments about building nuclear power plants, the disaster in Japan has rekindled its danger.

In Korea nuclear energy has been used since the 1970s after experimental research reactors in the 1960s. After the first nuclear power plant in Gori, 20 power plants are currently generating electricity in Weolseong, Yeonggwang and Uljin. The government is planning to construct more plants to support high levels of energy consumption.

Nuclear power generation comprises a large part of generating electricity in Korea, 35 percent of gross electricity generation. This shows the high level of dependence on nuclear power. And this means that we cannot stop using nuclear energy unless we find other energy sources.

Nuclear energy has its own advantage — efficiency. It is efficient because nuclear energy is derived from splitting atoms or fission which produces an enormous amount of energy compare to its size.

Furthermore, fission does not emit any greenhouse gases which cause global warming. However, this process produces harmful radioactive waste. Radioactivity is very detrimental to humans and other creatures as well. It is the main cause of cancer and its effects pass through generations.

To ensure our safety, we seal this waste and store it underground but radioactivity needs a lot of time to diminish. In addition, if such waste is not handled carefully, there can be leaks, contaminating large areas.

There are other disadvantages such as the expense. To keep nuclear waste safe and to prevent radioactivity from leaking, the proper construction is very complicated and expensive. This problem could be solved by high coefficient utilization.

Korea’s coefficient utilization is above the world’s average and is steadily increasing. This implies that we are benefiting from gradually building plants. Nuclear energy is a non-renewable resource in the sense that uranium, the key ingredient, is a limited element. From this, we can conclude that we have to find another energy source as soon as possible.

As mentioned above, neither can we stop using energy that comes from nuclear power plants nor can we use the energy permanently since it is non-renewable. We have to discover new energy sources in the long run.

To solve the immediate problem — concerns about the radioactive waste — we should develop technologies to keep the waste safe or to destroy it. Because of Korea’s stability in terms of tectonic plates, we still have time to develop technology and lower the risks.

Countermeasures are needed to prepare for the worst case scenario. This includes educating students about how to manage the situation when there is a radioactive leak. Countries such as the U.S. and some in Europe consider Japan’s situation as highly dangerous so their governments are planning measures to protect themselves.

On the other hand, the Korean government is relatively complacent even though we are the nearest to Japan.

Even when Japan dumped radioactive water into the ocean, our government did not take any action to deter them. We should figure out our own strategies to cope with future problems. Also, we should find new power generating methods while developing technologies essential to store the waste.

The writer is a senior at Sunae High School in Gyeonggi Province.