Preview

Nuclear Waste

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
939 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Nuclear Waste
Nuclear Waste by Richard A. Muller
Nuclear waste is a radioactive waste that is dangerous, and a fair percentage of people would agree on this topic. However, is it really dangerous or is it just harmful to an extent? In society, many debates are held over trying to prove to the world that this substance is harmful. In the essay, “Nuclear Waste,” Muller states clearly that he sides with the anti-nuke of the debate and how he pinpoints the facts of nuclear waste with great persuasion. Yet, it is uncertain whether Muller clearly has a good argument and/or answers the questions that many people linger to know.
In Richard A. Muller’s article “Nuclear Waste,” the author states clearly about how he is against the issues on nuclear waste and how it could pose a risk in society. Muller starts his essay by critiquing his opinion in a very persuasive introduction. He was very persuasive about his opinion when he states his questions about the issue like “How can we possibly make sure that this material is safe and that we can certify this material and it can be kept safe for 100,000 years?” (Muller 207) I think that these questions were purposely stated to enable the reader to answer questions that reinforce his case, and allow them to work towards taking action in some way. I also think it influences the readers and people in general to try and understand the risks of nuclear waste. We as humans need to keep in mind of the risks of nuclear waste, and how radiation could affect one’s health. As Muller have stated, “Children should be concerned about their health because the exposure of radiation can allow them to suffer quicker than adults would.” (Muller 206) Therefore, Muller presents his case with facts and his opinion on how nuclear waste can affect adults and the young as well.
While Richard A. Muller implies his opinion in being against nuclear waste, Muller seems to be convinced that he made a strong position on nuclear waste since the start. Although, I notice

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Richard A. Muller, an awardee of the MacArthur Fellowship and physics professor at UC Berkley, states in his 2008 essay “Nuclear Waste”, that Americans and the rest of the world are overly concerned with radioactive debris and the possibility of nuclear contamination. Muller first brings to light the most common fears of storing nuclear waste; volcanic activity in the Yucca Mountains, the area where the waste is stored, and the possibility of radioactive particles contaminating the water supply. Muller then goes on to entertain opposing viewpoints on how the waste should be disposed of. Muller then goes on to support his own claim by providing statistical data and explanations of radioactive…

    • 1072 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    After extensively researching the negative effects of nuclear energy, I noticed that Moore addresses every single major argument against the new method. Before he begins to focus on the negative arguments he states, “That's not to say that there aren't real problems -- as well as various myths -- associated with nuclear energy. Each concern deserves careful consideration:” indicating that he has done research on each and every argument. As the reader continues through the article, he or she will notice that each argument is suppressed by straight up facts and out of the box ideas that make absolute sense. Moore’s strength in using ethos and logos continues to be an extremely persuasive tactic as each argument is picked apart and analyzed. After individually attacking each dispute, he finishes his counter-argument segment by summarizing all the arguments and using it as one last punch. He states that many things have been used to kill many people. Minor things like machetes and diesel fuel can be responsible for death of millions (Moore 2). Moore then finishes his summary with what could possibly be the most influential sentence in the entire article, “If we banned everything that can be used to kill people, we would never have harnessed fire” (Moore…

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Case Study Yucca Mountain

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The amount of nuclear waste produced every year is too much to deal with but there has to be a way to store it. Most countries store their waste in insoluble glasses and put them in stainless steel containers and place them deep underground in a stable rock structure away from…

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    After reading the story “The Radioactive Boy scout”, one could conclude that David Hahn messed with science an extraordinarily long amount of time and did not do so carefully. This action can and will lead to problems down the road. A young boy's love for science eventually turned into a dangerous set back in the life, restricting anything else to be allowed in it. This just proves to show, everything(especially radioactive activities and nuclear power) should be taken seriously and handled with…

    • 1380 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many American’s assume that nuclear waste can be more dangerous than natural radioactive substances already present in the Earth currently. However, Richard Muller challenges this assumption in his chronicle “Nuclear Waste” by demonstrating the mathematical differences concerning the half-life of numerous radioactive substances. Basically, Muller is warning that “the dangers of storing our waste at Yucca Mountain to be small compared of the dangers of not doing so, and significantly smaller than the other dangers we ignore,” throughout his article. (p.254) Likewise, it has become common to dismiss the other present vulnerabilities, such as the “left over uranium in the soil,” earthquakes and rising mountains that Muller expresses in “My…

    • 263 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Three Mile Island Effects

    • 3565 Words
    • 15 Pages

    The use of Nuclear Power has always been a controversial subject, but during the technology’s…

    • 3565 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many people around the world ask themselves what are the disadvantages of adopting an alternative solution to solve the consumption of global nuclear energy? Based on what we have experienced through events with major disasters and the aftermath of many casualties, it has summed up to result in having failures outgrowing expectations. Therefore, global nuclear power usage is to be opposed due to the fact that it comes with high financial costs, nuclear waste management complications, and the fact that thousands in populations are mass numbers of casualties.…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    labouring the Walmart way

    • 394 Words
    • 2 Pages

    As everyone knows, nuclear energy can release nuclear radiation which can kill human’s cells and serious radiation can cause death. Furthermore, radiation can result in genetic variation. Radiation also has nuclear residue. It is hard to clear, may be more than 50 years can disappear. Such as Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, now is a ghost town, no one can live in there because of the radiation residue.…

    • 394 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    It was odd because Muller doesn’t seem to uphold his case as strongly as before. Even though I don’t have a precise position on the nuclear waste debate, I thought it was interesting to note that the author didn’t have a clear position either. Once I had completely read his essay, I confirmed my idea that the author doesn’t pinpoint his position on the case. It’s obvious that he dislikes nuclear waste, especially when he presents his case with utmost persuasion. But he never really tells what he feels that we should do. He only tells the readers what he thinks politicians and scientists are thinking or doing wrongly. He describes the wrongdoings of how people are handling nuclear waste and how it is making people more worried than they need to be. He asks, “Why are we worrying about transporting nuclear waste? Ironically, we have gone to such lengths to ensure the safety of the transport that the public thinks the danger is greater than it really is” (Muller 213). But isn’t that exactly what he is doing when he constantly pushes his case generating an incredulous case of how bad nuclear waste…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bill Mckiibben Waste

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages

    With all the money, we spend on the nuclear industry they nor the government have come up with a plan to get rid of the waste that does not involve dumping it in the ocean or the desert. McKibben states, “Congress is being lobbied really, really hard to fork over billions of dollars to the nuclear industry” (333). One thing about nuclear energy that can never be forgotten is the fact it can be turned into a weapon. The destruction nuclear weapons can cause is and always will be horrifying. During World War 2 a nuclear bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The bomb destroyed most of their island, killed most of their population, and left the country filled with radiation. Nuclear weapons can cause radiation sickness, different forms of cancer, and malformations to children ("What's the Damage?"). Even factories that use nuclear energy are harmful they destroy soil used for farming and water sources. Nuclear energy contains elements such as uranium, strontium, benzene and many others ("What's the Damage?"). These are the materials that keep nuclear energy radioactive even after it is disposed of, plus it can cause birth…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nuclear energy is one of the hottest topics in the fight to a cleaner world. The number of people who believe that nuclear energy is too dangerous and unhealthy for the earth has skyrocketed because of the nuclear accidents that have happened in the past and recently. These protesters may have a lot of evidence and theories about how bad this type of energy can be, but the people who have realized that nuclear energy is the way to a cleaner and more “Green” society have proof and facts that overrule anything that the protesters say.…

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    If nuclear waste is harmful it should not be stored by humans, but in less to non-populated areas. “Spent nuclear fuel remains highly dangerous for prolonged periods. It has long lived radioactive materials in it that can contaminate the environment and harm public health” (USA Today). Thousands of Americans are exposed to nuclear waste sites across the country. And if we do not take action to find somewhere else to store this waste. Many innocent people will be affected in the long run.…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Taubes, Gary. “Whose Nuclear Waste?” Technology Review 105.1 (2002): 60-68. InfoTrac Custom Journals. Web. 2 Dec. 2009.…

    • 2071 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Energy crisis has been important issue recently. Because of the environmental effect, the decrease amount of fuel oil, and the rapidly population growth, we have to find out new energy resources. One of new potential energy resources is nuclear power. Although it has dangerous effect, it is generally agreed that nuclear power as one of useful alternation energy resources that should be considered.…

    • 607 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Albert Einstein Speech

    • 613 Words
    • 3 Pages

    On November 11th 1947 the renowned scientist, Albert Einstein, presented his case against nuclear warfare and the real dangers that come with it. He was able to grab his audience’s attention by great use of literary devices and rhetoric techniques. The argument delivered in this speech proved to be effective because till this day a nuclear bomb has yet to be dropped.…

    • 613 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics