Blog #10 Topic:

All of us have heard about the problems associated with being dependent on oil for energy, as it inherently is a one-time resource (and therefore cannot be sustainably used, as it will not replenish). Various sources of energy are used around the world, most commonly nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, geothermal, wind, and wave. Nuclear energy is often touted as sustainable means to energy production. Using details from the readings, discuss your views (1) on whether or not nuclear energy is sustainable and (2) the problems associated with it and how they play into issues of inequality, both within nations (between groups of people) and between nations.

 I don't believe that nuclear energy is a sustainable source of energy because of all the harm it can cause to the people's health and lifestyle. An example of the harmful effects of nuclear energy as a sustainable source of energy for weapons is in the article, Complex Problems and No Clear Solutions: Radiations Victimization in Russia written by Paula Garb. In this article Garb discusses the harmful effects of radiation poisoning on the villages in Russia from the explosion and mishandling of radioactive waste. Garb explains in detailed her studied on the communities in Russia that have been exposed to radiation poison from nuclear weapons facilities and its effects on the health and lifestyle of the villages, as well as their reaction. The three villages that Garb mentions in her studies are: Muslyumovo, Kyshtym, and Dal'naya Dacha all in the Chelyabinsk region in Russia. Garb discusses in her article the excitement of the people for the creation of jobs the Mayak nuclear weapons facility in 1945-1949 brought to their villages. But as soon as construction was complete, there was no more need for the unskilled workers and therefore were laid off. Although no one really questioned the use of the facility by the military, many believe it was used for military purposes, "although this was never confirmed officially" (Garb). The use of nuclear weapons facility eventually reached the communities water supply in the early 1950, as mentioned by Garb. Many of the villagers noticed "pink pieces of fluff" (Garb) in their water supply. Many of the villages were evacuated and relocated to other villages, and although many of the officials believe it to be a very smooth and fast evacuation, "people were not evacuated until eight months after the accident: they consumed contaminated food for three to six months without restrictions" (Garb). Another example of why nuclear energy is not a sustainable source of energy is in the article, Building a Clean, Green Nuclear Machine? written by Barbara Rose Johnston. In this artcle Johnston poses the argument is nuclear energy truly the clean, green machine that its proponents (enviromentalist) make it out to be? In this article Johnston discusses the exposure levels of radiationa and its effects on the human health and lifestyle. She argues that acute health diseases can develop from low levels of exposure to nuclear radiation if it is consistent exposure. An example Johnston uses is the Navajo uranium minors, who developed chronic health problems including cancers as well as birth defects, such as cleft palates.

The problems of nuclear weapons associated with issues of inequalites within the nations are more evident when the nation should compensate the victims of radiation poisoning. Garb explains in her article that many of the communities feel doomed and dissapointed because they feel there may never be a solution to their problem because their govement is not willing to help them, even when it says it will. An example of this is when the Russian govermnet allocated funds for recompensation to those victims affected by the radiation poison caused by the Mayak weapons faciltiy many were left disqualified for one reason or the other. Their own Russian Government set many restrictions to disqualify the victims of radiations such as: "anyone who no longer lived in Muslyumovo up to that point…and anyone born after 1958—that is, a child or grandchild of victims who may have genetic aberrations"(Garb). In the article by Johnston inequalties withing their nation exist and become evident when the victims are not allowed to view the archieves and are restricted of information in regards to their exposure of nuclear radiation. The files are classified.

Inequalities at the national and local level are evident in the case of the Muslyumovo Region's weapons facilites, when the authorities and Official at bothe the National and Local level argue in favor of "economic revitalization based on reprocession spent fuel from Soviet-type reactors in the former republics, Finland, and Germany, and storage at Soviet sites(not in vitrified form)" (Gard). Meaning that without consideration of the affected victims of the nuclear explosion of Mayak, the National and Local offical of the Russian government are searching for methods in which they can continue with the use of nuclear energy from the recycled fuel of Soviet-type reactors from other neighboring countries. In comparison to the United States in regard to the use of nuclear energy for weapons testins the example of the Marshall Islands and their disregard for the serios health problems that nuclear energy can cause go hand in hand. Both nations disregard the health risk and when they attempt to recompensate the victims after they have been displaced from their homes and lifestyle set to many restrictions that do not allow the victims to be fully compensted for the health damages. An example Gard uses in her article is of another region who is affected by the inequalites of their nation is Atamanovo located near the Kransnoyarsk-26 facility who is also affected by the contamination of nuclear energy. Lyudmila Fatianova, a high school physics teacher claims that many of her friend are steril or infertile and that many in her community are also suffering from serious cancer abnormalites and many died within a year of diagnosis.