Environmental Pollution

Ethical Dilemma

The Ethical Dilemma of Nuclear Energy Use

The Chernobyl Disaster best reflects the ethical dilemma surrounding our nuclear energy use. Nuclear power has the potential to provide significant amounts of energy. However, the dilemma arises because it also has the potential to create the worst possible damage. Pollution in the form of radiation released from a nuclear accident poses severe risks to people and the environment. Radioactive contamination is long-lasting; contamination can linger for hundreds of years. 1

As the worst civil nuclear catastrophe in history, Chernobyl illustrates the ethical issue of using nuclear energy. Nuclear power was seen as a trustworthy technology until Chernobyl revealed the possibility for a disastrous accident, showing the world that a similar catastrophe could occur any place at any time. More importantly, the disaster cast doubt on the capacity of the world’s nuclear industry to serve society. The public lost confidence in nuclear power as a safe technology. 2 Do the benefits of nuclear energy outweigh the risks? Does the the potential for deadly environmental impacts make our use of nuclear energy unethical?

The most important lesson learned from the accident was that emergency management must be prioritized and given careful attention. The Chernobyl accident raised the question “Can nations throughout the world that desire to use nuclear power maintain this level of attention to safety?” Without a doubt, an emphasis on safety is key in order to prevent a similar accident from occurring again. 3

Before Chernobyl

An important historical event that first created doubts about the ethics of the nuclear industry was the The Three Mile Island accident in 1979. This incident caused national panic when an accidental radiation leak from the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant occurred. Even though there were few long-term health effects, this accident permanently changed the nuclear industry. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission noted that “Public fear and distrust increased” and “Regulations and oversight became broader and more robust, and management of the plants was scrutinized more carefully.” 4 This historical event which occurred previous to Chernobyl initiated concerns over the morality of using nuclear energy given its destructive potential to damage the environment and populations worldwide.

 

  1. Stapleton, Richard M., “Disasters: Nuclear Accidents,” in Pollution A to Z, (New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004). ↩
  2. Klevans, Edward and Farber, Darryl, “Chernobyl,” in Encyclopedia of Science, Technology and Ethics, (Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005). ↩
  3. Klevans, Edward and Farber, Darryl, “Chernobyl,” in Encyclopedia of Science, Technology and Ethics, (Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005). ↩
  4. Stapleton, Richard M., “Disasters: Nuclear Accidents,” in Pollution A to Z, (New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004). ↩