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A leader in the emerging need of alternative energy is nuclear fission, a technology that has expanded widely in the latest 15 years. For instance, countries such as France provide more than three quarter of its energy demand by fission.

“Nuclear Fission”

Nuclear fission is a nuclear reaction. The reaction causes an effect that makes the nucleus of atoms divided into minor parts, which generated both lighter nuclei and free neutrons that can create photons. Moreover, fission of weighty components called an exothermic reaction can produce much energy in the form of kinetic energy and electromagnetic radiation fragments. However, fission will only produce energy if the binding energy of the generated element is more than the initial one.

Nuclear fission is attractive in the sense that it can provide plentiful of energy with practically no greenhouse emission as well as deprivation of land, apart from its buildings such as a cooling tower. The technology has its anguish, reverting to the 1986 nuclear accident at “Three Mile Island and Chornobyl, Ukraine”. Nuclear power is by no means renewable energy, the level of uranium fuel available will according to estimates only last for another 50 years.

There are nevertheless growing focus on nuclear power by the Chinese as they face a need for more electricity power. There are nuclear reactors in construction in China at a yearly basis. Moreover, in U.S hydrogen-car maker considers nuclear plants a possibility to extract hydrogen from water. Developing countries such as Japan, which do import lots of oil, gas or coal for power generation is promoting fission initiatives. A diplomat in Japan, Yumi Akimoto, observed the blaze of the Hiroshima boy, and described this nuclear fission as a pillar for the future.

In Japan in the town of Rokkasho at the northernmost tip of Honshu Island there is a place where people are investigating cylindrical centrifuges that could be used to improve uranium and a pool used for cooling the nuclear fuel. The nuclear fuel that is spent has ample quantity of plutonium as well as extra uranium. These are necessary nuclear materials recovered. They are used to create a substance known as MOX (Mixed Oxide) through blending enriched plutonium and uranium. MOX fuel can be used in advanced reactors. It can thereby extend the supply of nuclear energy for some decades.

There are other countries that are also doing this re-processing process to recover the byproduct to produce MOX. However, critics are proclaiming that most of these plants use the plutonium to construct nuclear weapons. In 2007, a peaceful nuclear plant was set up in Japan. According to Rokkasho, to make sure that the plant remains for peaceful use inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog will be responsible to overlook that plutonium is used for the right purpose.

Yet, there are many other setbacks. Nuclear plants expose employees to radiations. Scientists are proposing a paradoxical advancement. Creating a breeder reactor, which has, the possibility to produce more fuel than it actually consumes. In simple terms, the plutonium is reprocessed to create more energy. The future of this technology is at an unpredictable level and it is not certain that it involves into plausible option.

According to Akimoto, fuel reprocessing must become normality for nuclear energy to be feasible. It is necessary that the whole system is comprehended and accepted. A holistic view is necessary as Akimoto said “…Sometimes we want to get the first crop of fruit but forget how to grow the trees.”

Source: National Geographic