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Iran’s Critical Unveiling of New Type of Missile

Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (R), Iranian army's joint chief of staff, General Hassan Firoozabadi (2nd R) and Iran's Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi (3rd R) attend the unveiling ceremony of a long-range drone, the Karrar, in Tehran August 22, 2010.

Nuclear power is the world’s largest source of emission-free energy. Nuclear power plants produce no controlled air pollutants, such as sulfur and particulates, or greenhouse gases. The use of nuclear power in place of other energy sources helps to keep the air clean, preserve the Earth’s climate, avoid ground-level ozone formation and prevent acid rain. Nuclear power has important implications for our national security. Inexpensive nuclear power, in combination with fuel cell technology, could significantly reduce our dependency on foreign oil. Today the rhetoric is more muted, but nuclear power is still touted as a savior of sorts: it will save us from global warming, help us eliminate nuclear weapons and meet the world’s burgeoning energy needs.

Nuclear Power Generation

Nuclear power generation does emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). The emissions of green house gases and therefore, the contribution of nuclear power plants to global warming is therefore, relatively little. This technology is readily available, it does not have to be developed first. Lastly, it is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant. On the other hand, the problem of radioactive waste is still an unsolved one. The waste from nuclear energy is extremely dangerous, and it has to be carefully looked after for several thousand years. There are high risks involved. Despite a generally high security standard, accidents can still happen. It is technically impossible to build a plant with 100% security. A small probability of failure will always last. The consequences of an accident would be absolutely devastating both for a human being as for the nature.

The energy source for nuclear energy is Uranium. Uranium is a scarce resource, its supply is estimated to last only for the next 30 to 60 years depending on the actual demand. The time frame needed for formalities, planning and building of a new nuclear power generation plant is in the range of 20 to 30 years in the western democracies. In other words: It is an illusion to build new nuclear power plants in a short time. Lastly, during the operation of nuclear power plants, radioactive waste is produced, which in turn can be used for the production of nuclear weapons. In addition, the same know-how used to design nuclear power plants can, to a certain extent, be used to build nuclear weapons.

Negative Aspect of Nuclear Technology

In the context of Iran the last negative aspect of nuclear technology is most controversial. Given Iran’s policies and stance in the realm of international politics most states are very concerned about Iran developing nuclear technology. This concern is heightened even further as Iran recently unveils and starts to operate its own nuclear power plant. The fear of states around the world of Iran’s pursuit of nuclear technology is made reality. Iran claims it is for energy purposes, but you cannot discount the weapon, military and political value of possessing nuclear technology. All that can be done is to wait and see where Iran’s nuclear capability will lead to.

References:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/08/22/iran.defense.project/?hpt=T1#fbid=cJynwVbj-CA&wom=false

http://www.ccnr.org/encompass.html

September 10, 2010 - Posted by alijha prestowe | News | Iran, new missile, Nuclear power generation, nuclear technology, Uranium