Anti-nuclear

From ArticleWorld

The anti-nuclear movement across the globe holds the notion that the use of nuclear power is outright dangerous and should be replaced with suitable safer alternatives that may be present in nature. There are several factors that have prompted people in the world to adopt such a posture. It has been argued that nuclear technology, when it comes to power and weapons development, is understood only by experts in the field and hence is an ‘alien technology’.

Reasons for the growing opposition

The entire 20th century has witnessed growing awareness about the environment and the need to protect the ecosystem from the drastic effects of certain new innovations and modern technology. Nuclear weaponry is a classic example of how damaging new technology can be for the environment. Fierce opposition was seen the world over after the 1945 atomic bombs, that destroyed the two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and created dangerous living conditions for millions of people. Nuclear warfare is always a dangerous threat. Rogue elements, according to anti-nuclear activists, can easily lay their hands on radioactive fuel with the help of disgruntled scientists. International treaties like the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START-1 and START-2) in the 1970s and the more recent Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) have been highly controversial and discriminatory, thus adding to the ridiculousness of the nuclear power scene. The concept of ‘nuclear deterrence’ is also viewed with scepticism – this is easily subject to misuse. It is not just nuclear weapons that have brought about cries to abolish nuclear power. Thermal pollution, radioactive waste disposal and nuclear accidents – such as the one that happened in Chernobyl, Russia in 1986 – have been contributing factors to growing concerns and propaganda for anti-nuclear activism. It has been argued that even if safety measures are adhered to, lapses are possible; it is not possible for the common man to keep a check on experts.