Socialist Resistance

An archive of socialistresistance.org, 2002–2022

Nuclear power WHAT IS IT - AND WHY IS IT DANGEROUS?

Socialist Resistance no30  |  page 10-11

This is scanned newsprint, not web text. The original PDFs carried no text layer at all, so every word here was read off the page by OCR. Expect dropped opening letters, run-together words and wrong characters. There was no contents page to cut the paper up by, so the articles were found from the size of their headlines: a headline may carry its kicker, and where an article ran beside a boxed panel a few lines of the neighbour can appear. The scanned issue is the authority; this text is here so the words can be found at all.

ALL nuclear power stations rely on nuclear fission "splitting the atom". This is a process whereby Uranium 235 and Plutonium atoms break apart, showering their surroundings with a spray of sub-atomic particles called neutrons, as well as emitting energy in the form of gamma rays. These rays (a form of radiation like light, but with much more energy) ultimately heat up the mass of uranium, and this heat can be used to boil water (or heat liquid sodium in some of the more esoteric and dangerous designs). The steam generated turns the turbines that generate electricity. But the neutrons go on to hit other atoms of U235 and Plutonium, causing them in turn to break apart and generate yet more heat and neuLOs. This process is known as a chain reaction. In an atom (fission) bomb, the Uranium or Plutonium is in a pure lump and the reaction runs away cumulating in the well-known mushroom cloud. (1 am not going to describe the more powerful thermonuclear or hydrogen bombs as these use nuclear fusion, which is outside the scope of this article). The main But for power generation, the source of fuel is in the form weaponsof rods, which are

grade individually too small to explode plutonium is in the same way. nuclear waste Furthermore, the

from power reaction is "moderated" by rods of stations. carbon "control This must be rods" that absorb

one of the CXCOSS I CULIONS and prevent run- central away. Water runs reasons why in channels through the reac- socialists tor to create steam should oppose and also serves to nuclear power. contaminated large moderate the reaction and prevent the whole thing from overheating. The whole lot is contained in massive structure (called containment) designed both to prevent the deadly gamma rays and neutrons from escaping, and to contain any runaway reactions should things go

wrong. However, Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union, poor conunauthorised experiments control rods the une reaction to explode containment. In the ensuing fire, the burning fuel (Uranium and Plutonium burn like magnesium in reaction products into the air, which parts of Europe and even affected Britain.

Containment breaches have also happened at Three

page 11 of the scan

Respect's annual conference is an opportunity to take stock of its political and organisational development. We offer four pages of comment and debate. socialist Respect Conference special 2005