By: Mariam Malik
The Chernobyl Disaster: A Warning
When it comes to the numerous problems faced by today’s society, the need for energy is a pressing issue. We use electricity for practically everything; heating, air conditioning, lighting, powering electronics, house appliances, and even cars. That list only grows longer and longer. This makes the need for new sources of energy demanding. When scientists came up with nuclear power plants, the problem seemed solved, especially since each power plant produces at least one billion watts of energy in a day. The negative aspect, however, made that number useless. Nuclear waste takes centuries to decompose, and the radiation levels are astronomical.
The Chernobyl disaster, which was when an explosion happened in a nuclear power plant, all residents were diagnosed with cancer and to this day, the area is uninhibited. Despite that, nuclear power plants are still a major source of energy today. Nearly 60 percent of energy in the U.S comes from power plants.
When facing these issues, many believe that the solution is to think of something else, to urge scientists to find an answer. That is wrong. The answer to our problems is not out there, but with each one of us. Every small act a person does to save energy or conserve it can limit the demand for energy, and in the long run, the negative effects of those demands. The need for energy is a problem that can only be solved if everyone plays their part. In the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, “people acting together as a group can accomplish things which no individual acting alone could ever hope to bring about.”