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Doug,

What are the sources that are relevant to nuclear waste that you found?

-Taylor

In the process of writing my paper, I found many connections between nuclear power as a sustainable energy source and the positive effect it has on the environment. This is an interesting angle on the topic which contradicts the popular belief that the carbon byproducts of nuclear power are damaging to the enviroment. My only concern is overloading my paper with statistics and figures on this matter - I do not want to lose the reader's interest...

I am trying to decide which sub-topic of nuclear power would be the most interesting to read: 1) Proliferation, 2) Energy, or 3) Waste. I am leaning toward waste, but I would like some imput/advice.

                                                                                                                                    Taylor Martin

Thesis:

·         Because nuclear power is a sustainable energy source and its development increases national security, nuclear power will be the primary source of energy for the United States within 10 years.

Research:

·         The development and use of nuclear power as an energy source has been disputed over the last half century. I want to prove that the benefits of nuclear power outweight the risks through increased funding and development of new technologies. As a viable alternative to fossil fuels, nuclear power is an efficient form of energy with minimal environmental damage, and it is a symbol of economic and military strength in the global arena. I am writing to with the intended audience of politicians, scientists, and environmentalists and aim to disprove the criticisms that nuclear energy is ¹⁾ a dangerous, declining energy source, ²⁾ damaging to the environment (radioactive waste), ³⁾ and a cause of nuclear proliferation. Science and technology databases such as Academic Search Premier, AccessScience, and Web of Knowledge offer the most information relevant to the creation of nuclear power. Science journals (IoP, SPIN Web, etc.) have information pertaining to the the pros and cons of nuclear physics. PAIS International is an additional resource for political arguments and policies concerning nuclear proliferation. If possible, I would like to interview a professor who has experience with nuclear physics. These are a few routes to explore; however, there is such a wealth of information on nuclear power that anything could be a potential source.

Howard, John. "Nuclear Power's New Age." The Economist 06 Sept. 2007.

·         The general point of this article is that the development of nuclear power is inevitable because of the global economic strain. The reliance on fossil fuels has developed countries looking for alternative energy sources to insure domestic economic stability as well as national security. Many environmentalists are starting to embrace the idea of nuclear power as an alternative energy source, and the general international consensus is pushing the creation of more reactors.

Rosa, Eugene A., and Riley E. Dunlap.. "Nuclear power: Three decades of public opinion." Public Opinion Quarterly 58.2 (Summer94 1994): 295-324. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 26 Oct. 2008 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9410063648&site=ehost-live>.

·         This article focuses on the social perspective toward the use of nuclear power and nuclear plants. The 3-Mile Island incident in Pensylvannia is used as an example to portray the reactions of Americans in response to the disaster. The pros and cons of nuclear plants are related to the way in which people percieve nuclear technology. Whether or not the government supports nuclear power is critical to a population's response to the idea. The third part of the 20^th centurty offered little support for nuclear power; however, there is now a renewal of interest in the development of nuclear technology.

Singer, J. David, and Volker Krause.. "Alliances and Nuclear Proliferation: A Matter of Reliability?." Conference Papers -- International Studies Association (2006 Annual Meeting 2006): 1. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 26 Oct. 2008 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=27205035&site=ehost-live>.

·         The balance of power concept is adressed in this article to prove that nuclear weapons/technology keeps powerful countries in-check. The idea of increased nuclear proliferation is mentioned. Singer states, "We expect states to be more likely to engage in nuclear proliferation if (1) they lack support in military conflict from any nuclear major powers, (2) they have no nuclear major power allies, (3) nuclear major power allies do not support them in military conflict, and/or (4) nuclear major power allies are diverted from assisting them in military conflict because they are preoccupied with other armed confrontations." This is a key to my thesis in proving that regulations are crucial to prevent the top down model of nuclear proliferation.

Rogers, Kenneth A., and Marvin G. Kingsley.. "The Politics of Interim Radioactive Waste Storage:The United States." Environmental Politics 13.3 (Sep. 2004): 590-611. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 26 Oct. 2008 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=14433467&site=ehost-live>.

·         The political viewpoint on radioactive waste is addressed in context of the known technology used to dispose of it. Since there are insufficient funds to develop new methods to destroy radioactive "hard" waste with no damage to the environment, plants are forced to store used uranium and fuel rods underground or in tanks. Private funding must be accompanied with government spending in order to secure long-term energy with no risk to the people or environment.  If new technology is created to provide a better means of destroying radioactive waste, plants would be passively secure (non-threatening) to the environment and the surrounding area.

Rahn, Frank J.. "Nuclear power." AccessScience@McGraw-Hill. 26 Oct. 2008. http://www.accessscience.com, DOI 10.1036/1097-8542.459600.

·         The encyclopedia entry for nuclear power gives general information about the history, use, and future of nuclear power. This is important in order to understand the United States' current ranking compared to other world leaders using nuclear power as energy. The creation and development of nuclear energy is described in great detail which clearly points out the future advantages of fission.  As for the safety of nuclear power, meltdowns are becoming less of a threat with newer innovations to stabilize the reactor core.

Lynas, Mark. "Why greens must learn to love nuclear power." New Statesman 137.4914 (22 Sep. 2008): 54-56. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 26 Oct. 2008 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=34376121&site=ehost-live>.

Nuclear power used as energy is the best alternative to other fuel sources. The long term cost is cheap compared to the expense of building the plants. Nuclear energy is sustainable and a viable source of fuel with low impact to the environment. Mark argues in favor of adopting nuclear power to fight global warming and climate change and to conserve natural resources. The number of supporters for nuclear power is growing exponentially with the economic strains on the international market.

I have decided to narrow my thesis specifically to nuclear power.

Thesis: Because nuclear power is a sustainable energy source and its development increases national security, nuclear power will be the primary source of energy for the United States within ten years.

I think this will be interesting because I can also incorporate the argument that nuclear technology is a "balance of power" between countries. 

I think this is a better thesis:Since the Cold War, technology has been the underlying cause for war between the U.S. and other nation-states.

I am still trying to decide whether or not I should argue that technology is the cause of war or is this too bold of a claim? Any ideas on how I can incorporate technology on an international level as a symbol of power for countries?

=Thesis=

Since technology provides the foundation for today's globilization system, it serves as a symbol of power for the United States and is the underlying cause for conflict on the global stage.

Marx would argue that Americans viewpoints vary on the impact of technology in the global arena depending on their age, social class, and political stance. Like the example of Jefferson and Webster, technology affects people to various degrees based on their reliance on technology; thus, it is evident that businessmen, teenagers, and anyone who uses the internet, for instance, to trade stock or sell on eBay will support the idea that technology has a massive effect on globalization. In today's world, the speed of your modem is more important than the number of nuclear weapons you have.

Winner would argue that technology is not the root of global conflict because technology is meant to provide order. Technology's aim is to improve the lives of people by providing safer foods, better roads, and more effective medical treatment. Winner argues that nuclear energy, for example, cannot be taken out of context until it is accepted and used on a large scale. Certain technologies require a tradeoff between necessity and consequence.

Both would agree that technology does in fact determine a nation-state's level of power in on the world stage.