Significant Invention of 20th Century

ESSAY

The 20th century kindled the start of many technological advances such as the personal computer by apple, the creation of the first flying airplane by the wright brothers, and the Model T Ford automobile. But by far, the most significant of these is the invention of Nuclear power after World War II. This type of energy revolutionized the fuel industry. It called for a pollutant free and environmental friendly production since no fossil fuels were being used; furthermore, this evergy saved the US from the energy crisis in the 1970s. As Nuclear fuel definently brought great prosperity, it also affected our environment negatively.

Enrico Fermi is considered a major figure in the discovery of nuclear energy. This physicist born in Rome, Italy was the first scientist to split the atom and his research later led to nuclear power generation. Together with Leo Szilard, Fermi discovered the first nuclear reactor that caused nuclear chain reactions.  Nuclear power was created because of the several energy crisis' the US had. This was a major issue after World War II because the alarming rate at which world's natural resources were being consumed. If not for this creation, the US would have suffered greatly from the lack energy. Since the US supported Israel in the Yom Kippur war against Egypt, Arab proposed an ebargo on the United States. Arab raised the price of a barrel of oil from 3 dollars to 12 dollars. As these resources became unaffordable, people were seeking alternative sources to generate electricity for heat and light. Nuclear power was the only practical solution. The discovery of nuclear power has changed the course of US history by perventing millions of people from being afflicted by this problem.

This alternative source of energy not only stopped the energy crisis, but it is more environmental freindly than the common carbon based fuel. Because nuclear energy produces no greenhouse gas emissions, it’s considered a clean-air energy. When compared to other generation staples like coal or natural gas, nuclear energy is considered more capable of meeting the demands of a better, more efficent fuel. These staples produce carbon dioxide which can severely harm the atmosphere; on the contrary, nuclear energy does not burn coal or natural gas to create electricity. It uses a process called nuclear fission to release energy from uranium atoms. This fuel is practially infinite, and therefore is a mostly clean, safe and renewable source of energy.

Though nuclear energy brings many environmental benefits, it is also greatly affected the ecosystem negatively. The used uranium atoms, which had already been drained of their energy, needed to be disposed. Many engineers called this radwaste, or radioactive waste. Even though engineers claim that nuclear energy is safe, the truth is that there is no guaranteed safe means for containment of nuclear materials. The risk of an accident and exposure increases exponentially through each step in the process of mining, transportation, storage, refinement, and use of nuclear power. Every step of this process carries great risk for the environment and the community. Furthermore, Nuclear plants use enormous amounts of fresh water to cool down the machinery. Cases of water contamination with radioactive substances has occurred around over a dozen different nuclear sites around the country. The process of mining materials used in nuclear power plants such as uranium and titanium run a very high risk of water contamination to near by rivers and streams as well as ground water supplies. Similarly, another risky factor with nuclear energy is if it were in incompetent hands. This could cause great devastation, and has. After the war, nuclear weapons such as bombs were created and spread to several countries around the globe. The toxic waste, contaminated water, and risky weapon usage all factor in to make nuclear power less enviromental friendly as it seems.

Nuclear energy has significantly impacted the 20th century positively and negatively. This power source brought us clean energy, but creates toxic waste which cannot ever entirely become contained.  Currently, 16 percent of the world's electricity is produced through nuclear power. The U.S. is a major producer of nuclear power with 103 power plants that generate electricity spread over 31 states. Without nuclear power we would have been troubled all throughout the 20th century.