Aanlysis of a Writing Situation Risks of Nuclear Power

Radiation is a process where particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space.  These particles are traveling at such a fast rate that they can enter the human body and destroy cells.  This then causes the start of cancer.  Radiation occurs naturally in our environment everyday.  However, no where near the amount of radiation that is needed to physically cause a human being to have cancer. 

Nuclear power plants sky rocket the output of radioactive waves.  Nuclear power plants emit radiation continuously, which workers are then exposed to everyday.  The cause of cancer by radiation is estimated at 1%.  Nuclear power is raising the percentage very fast.  Radiation is estimated to cause fifty thousands or more deaths than the previous number. 

Nuclear power plants also produce a significant amount of radioactive waste.  This radioactive material must not come in contact with any person for an extreme period of time.  Most of this waste is transformed into rocks a then buried deep into the earth.  The remaining radioactive waste, which contains less radiation, is buried around twenty feet deep.  These contents can be absorbed into the surrounding soil and/or water supply.  This then affects the animals that inhabit the area in which the waste was dumped in a negative way. 

Reactor accidents are a rare problem with nuclear power plants.  Nonetheless, the potential of an accident will always exist.  Chernobyl may be the greatest reactor accident of all.  A problem with a reactor caused an explosion which released an extremely high amount of radiation.  The surrounding four-hundred thousand people were evacuated.  Many that were evacuated later died of cancer caused by radiation.  Chernobyl is now a ghost town.  The radiation that lingers there prevents anyone from inhabiting the area.

Bernard L. Cohen, the other of this article and professor at the University of Pittsburgh, disagrees with the usage of nuclear power.  He believes that nuclear power is too dangerous and can lead the deaths of too many people.  His main argument, which is very strong, is the effects on society of radiation.  He uses statistics in his writing to make his argument even stronger.  He uses many facts and less opinions, which produces an undisputable argument on the factual material. 

Bernard L. Cohen intends to persuade people to go against the use nuclear power/energy.  I think he expected many of his own students to read this article.  By using facts in his writing I think he may have persuaded many people to think of nuclear power in the same way he is.  I am somewhat against nuclear power after reading this article.  There are many positive results that come from nuclear power.  Regardless, are those results worth the risks involved?