On August 6, 1945, the world became aware of the power of nuclear reactions when the atomic bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, killing dozens of people. of thousands. Shortly after the end of World War II, the United States Atomic Energy Commission was established to help control the development of atomic energy and encourage the creation of peacetime uses of nuclear energy. In 1954, the first nuclear power plant was opened to generate electricity for the city of Obninsk in the Soviet Union at the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering and was used as a prototype for future nuclear reactor designs. This showed the world's top scientists and engineers that nuclear power could be used to provide power to the world's cities. In 2000, 438 nuclear power plants were operating around the world, providing 16% of the planet's electricity supply. However, this number has slowed significantly. As of 2019, there are only 4 additional power plants in total, bringing the total to 442 nuclear reactors worldwide. This begs the question: why isn't nuclear power growing at an exponential rate yet? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Much of this may be due to the high cost and potential dangers of the “futuristic” fuel source. All nuclear power plants produce waste; much of this waste consists of disposable items such as protective suits, masks, filters and tools which are considered "low-level waste" due to lower levels of radioactivity. These low activity materials are subject to special regulations regarding handling, storage, treatment and disposal so that they do not come into contact with the external environment. High-level waste is created when irradiated (spent) nuclear fuel cannot be reused to produce electricity. Even though it cannot provide energy for power plants, the waste is still dangerous. Since the only way for radioactive waste to become harmless is through decay which can take up to fifteen million years depending on the types of isotopes present, the waste must be stored and disposed of in a manner that ensures adequate protection of the population for a very long time. long lasting. Disposing of one cubic meter of highly radioactive waste in the UK can cost between £67,000 and £201,000, or more than US$262,000. Waste is produced throughout the process of creating nuclear power, from the mining of uranium ore to create the reactors to the final disposal of high- and low-level waste. Such expenses could cause companies to be negligent and avoid the use of proper disposal techniques necessary to protect both humanity and the environment from nuclear disasters. Perhaps the best-known nuclear accident was the Chernobyl disaster in 1984, when a reactor core in the power plant was damaged, leading to the release of significant quantities of radioactive isotopes. Thanks to this disaster and others like the 1979 Three Mile Island accident and the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster, scientists have begun to understand why nuclear power may not be the fuel choice of the future after all. The specialist in..