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Weekly Online LessonOnline Lesson ArchivesGrade Level: 5-10
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Radiation Leak
Residents
living near Tokaimura, Japan, were reminded of the potential hazards of nuclear energy
when an inexperienced worker at the Tokai uranium processing plant caused an uncontrolled
nuclear chain reaction. Several workers were exposed to extremely high levels of
radiation, and emergency crews were exposed to higher-than-normal levels of radiation.
Anxious residents nearby were urged to remain indoors while crews worked to contain the
reaction. Read more about the accident in this CNN report,
and view Images
of Japan's Nuclear Emergency.
For a nation dependent on nuclear power for a third of its energy needs, Japan is caught in a complex crossfire. Japan is a resource-poor country with almost no oil reserves, yet the island chain of 125.9 million people covering an area slightly smaller than California is the world’s second-largest oil consumer. With no other immediate fuel sources to draw from, nuclear power seems to be their best alternative.
On the other hand, Japan is painfully aware of the catastrophic power of
nuclear energy. As the only country in the world to have nuclear weapons used against them
(at the close of World War II), Japan has a deeply rooted pacifist, anti-nuclear culture,
and allow no nuclear arms on its soil. Modern demands for more energy, however, have led
Japan to develop the most accelerated nuclear program in the world.
Ironically, this startling nuclear disaster comes at the beginning of October, which is Energy Awareness Month. In this lesson you will learn more about the science of nuclear energy, how many countries are using nuclear science to generate power, and how nuclear energy carries with it real dangers and dramatic environmental consequences.
Timeline of the Nuclear Age
Japan
has been using nuclear power as a source of energy for only a few decades, but scientists
have been working on understanding the principles of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion
for the greater part of the 20th century. For a historical look at the nuclear age, visit
the Department of Energy's Nuclear Age
Timeline. Read topics from each decade beginning with the pre-1940's. Pay
particular attention to April
1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor meltdown, and March 1979, the
meltdown at Three Mile Island.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The U.S. NRC is a federal agency responsible
for regulating, licensing, and inspecting commercial and institutional organizations that
use nuclear energy, including nuclear power plants. Browse to the NRC Students' Corner
for an excellent introduction to nuclear energy. It's written and designed for younger
learners, but even older learners can understand the simple presentation of these
complicated scientific concepts. Read through the main Students' Corner
page, and then click the Next Topic link at the bottom of the page. Read Nuclear Reactors,
Radiation, Emergency Planning,
Decommissioning,
and Radioactive Waste.
Based on your reading, what are the greatest benefits of nuclear power? What are the most troubling risks? What are the potential dangers, if any, of storing high-level radioactive waste for thousands of years?
As you read this lesson, if you come across an unfamiliar term, go to the Glossary of Nuclear Terms and look it up.
Radiation and Life
"Life on earth has developed with an ever present background of radiation. It is not something new, invented by the wit of man: radiation has always been there."
Radiation and Life paints a far
less startling picture of radiation than you will get from reading about various nuclear
disasters and weapons use. Written by Professor Eric J. Hall of Columbia University, this
page explains how radiation is all around us, and is a key to life on earth. He also warns
that certain kinds of ionizing radiation can cause damage to matter and living tissue. As
you read, you will learn about the radiation spectrum and the types of ionizing radiation
that are dangerous.
How is ionizing radiation measured, and how much ionizing radiation is dangerous? After you find the answer on this page, compare with this CNN report on the effects of radiation on the human body. What are the physical symptoms of radiation sickness, and what are the possible long-term effects?
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