Week 4 - Lecture 1 - Nuclear Technology and Ethics Flashcards
Nuclear fission
Atoms are split apart, which releases energy
Enrichment
In order to use uranium for a nuclear weapons devise, the number of desired isotopes must be increased
Dual-use technology
Civilian use and military use of nuclear technology are built on the same scientific discovery and, partially on the same technologies
Nuclear ethics in 1960s & 1970s
- Most discussions about nuclear weapon production and use
- A lot of discussion about the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
Nuclear ethics in 1980s
- Most dedicated academic work to this was defending an argument against nuclear energy because of:
1. The troubled history;
2. Its waste;
3. As well as the possibility of melt-down of a reactor. - These discussions were exacerbated after
1. Three Mile Island accident
2. Chernobyl accident
Name 3 Nuclear Renaissances
Nuclear Renaissances
- In the early days of nuclear energy production (following Atoms for Peace, ~1953), it was expected that it would vastly grow
- Earlier in this century (and prior to the Fukushima accident), it was expected that nuclear energy would hit off
- The most recent ‘’renaissance thinking’’ happened after the Paris Agreement and is still ongoing
Three key ethical questions in sustainability
- What is it that we wish to sustain?
- Why should we sustain it?
- For whom should we sustain it?
Safety
IAEA: Safety, Security, Safeguard
The protection of people and the environment against radiation risks
Security
IAEA: Safety, Security, Safeguard
Intentional malicious and the prevention and detection of, and response to, theft, sabotage, unauthorised access, illegal transfer or other malicious acts involving nuclear material […] or their associated facilities
Safeguard
IAEA: Safety, Security, Safeguard
Helps deter nuclear weapon proliferation by detecting any possible redirecting of nuclear material that could conceivably be used to manufacture nuclear weapons from highly enriched uranium and plutonium.
Finish the sentence
Since we (the present generation) and future generations all have access to the same environment and resources, we have a moral duty to…
- Sustain the environment and humankind’s safety
- Sustain human well-being
Anthropocentrism
The belief that human beings are the central or most important entity on the planet
Non-anthropocentrism
Includes any philosophical view that denies the central claim of anthropocentrism, that humans are the most important element in the universe.
The Non-proliferation Treaty
World’s most important convention that prohibits the proliferation of weapons and knowledge that could contribute to such weapons
Open fuel cycle
Spent fuel is not reprocessed
Closed fuel cycle
Spent fuel is reprocessed, and partly reused
