Daily Times

While nuclear energy is widely associated with nuclear weapons and the attendant devastation, it has variegated beneficial uses as well. Contrary to the common belief, the very presence of nuclear weapons among nations is the guarantee of peace. Nuclear energy has also proven immensely beneficial across sectors like energy, medicine, and agriculture

Since world war II, the world has not witnessed any full-blown war. In 1945, when the USA first dropped atom bombs,  the balance of power was massively disturbed. As a counterweight, in 1949, USSR successfully came up with its own nuclear weapons. In the following years, Uk,  France, and China followed the suit. No country now dare go to war with another nuclear-armed state for fear of getting an equal response which entails annihilation for both the attacker and the attacked. Technically and befittingly, this was theorized in what came to be known as Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).

Ensuring the balance of terror has proven a great bliss for humanity for the preclusion of interstate war as an instrument of foreign policy. On many occasions, wars between India and Pakistan were quite possible, had both not possessed nuclear warheads. Some events from history will further illustrate the point in question. During the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, there were many predictions that nuclear war between the USA and USSR was inevitable. The matters, however, were settled through dialogues which otherwise were not possible in absence of awe of such weaponry. Among other uses, nuclear energy is a great alternative to the fast exhausting sources of energy.

Today the world largely depends upon fossil fuels like coal, gas, and the like resources to meet its energy demands. Nonetheless, with the mushrooming population, these sources are running scarce. One need never worries when nuclear energy can generate the plenitude of cheaper electricity. Some countries – Russia, Uk, USA, and India are already obtaining energy from atomic power stations. The plus point is energy produced by these stations is exceptionally cost-effective as compared to traditional methods, vis coal, and water. This can be gauged from the fact that one pound of uranium can generate as much energy as 15000 tonnes of coal.

To illustrate, a sugar cube-sized uranium can provide heat and light to the small town for numerous weeks or even it can produce energy sufficient enough to steer the train around the globe. In short, atomic fuel has the edge over other fuels as smaller quantities of former can produce a larger amount of power than the latter. Often many argue that power procured from nuclear energy is costlier than power acquired through other sources. Even if this argument is taken into account, the importance of nuclear energy cannot be neglected because it opens up the possibilities of the inexhaustible supply of power. As it is a well-known fact that the standard of living in any country hinges on per head consumption of power, nuclear energy alone has the potential of hoisting the standards of a large number of people to a more higher degree of living. Apart from this, nuclear energy is vastly contributing to the treatment of the disease.

It is a widely known fact that the isotopes have shown significant results. Obtained from the ‘ Atomic furnaces ‘ as ash, Cobalt 60 and Cassium 137 are enormously helpful in the fight against cancer. Where ordinary surgical methods fail to remove tumors, Gamma radiations are used to destroy them. In the same way, the diseases of the thyroid gland can be easily diagnosed through selective absorption of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland. Other special kinds of cancer are also treated with nuclear energy. In fact, Nuclear energy has contributed so widely and vastly in medicine that it is not possible to recount the benefits here.

Nuclear energy is also enriching the agriculture sector in a variety of ways through the application of radiation. The perishable foodstuff is kept fresh for a greater period of time than usual by exposing them to radiation, improving the nutrition of people. It boosts the production of crops by controlling pests and shielding it against inclement climate. Many other problems like inadequate storage and transport can easily be answered through its usage. In short, the use of nuclear energy is immensely beneficial in terms of fuller utilization as well as further expansion of limited agriculture resources.

Using nuclear power for peace is to put countries on the fast track to success. Our beloved homeland must not rely upon atomic energy for defense alone. The sooner we adopt its multirange utility, the mightier we would become.