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

Humans Effect on Nature in the twentieth Century Nuclear Waste With the dawn of the thermonuclear age in the early 1900s, came a problem that became a force to be reckoned with. Its hit is nuclear waste. This is yet another harmful side effect brought on by mans drive to find the cheapest and most goodish source of might technology has to offer. Nuclear waste, ranging from harmful radiation caused by nuclear meltdown to unused military weaponry, has been a serious bare in the past few decades, and is a perfect example of valet effect on nature. Many would argue that the history of nuclear nil and nuclear waste began in 1898 when Marie Curie discovered two hot elements polonium and radium.1 The nuclear scene was relatively quiet until 1838, when a German scientist, Otto Hahn was successful in demonstrating nuclear fission.2 This set off an alert that reached the ears of Theodore Roosevelt, who was electric chair of the United States at the time. With the threat of Germany making a nuclear bomb, the nuclear race was on. The Manhattan Project was launched in an effort to secretly build a nuclear bomb before the Germans. The most commonly known events in nuclear waste history were the near catastrophic meltdowns at 3 Mile Island nuclear power flora in Pennsylvania, and Chernobyl power plant in The Soviet Union. Radiation leakage was minimal at threesome Mile Island, however, Chernobyl experienced the release of massive quantities of hot materials accompanied by a dangerous fire.3 People from all nations came in contact with radioactive particles which the wind blew around the Earth. These two events sparked nuclear awareness by the planetary public as well as governmental programs that... ...only aid in cleaning up and preventing nuclear waste, but also to inform and prepare the public. Until more effective methods of nuclear waste management are devised, the energy hungry U.S. will have to put up with the environmental hi rudinean 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 brass and Geology (London Chapman and Hall, 1988) 10-11 5. mixed waste 28 March, 1999 6. mixed waste 28 March, 1999 7. Yucca business deal Homepage 28 March, 1999