Natural sources of radiation are the cosmic rays and the radioactive substances in the soil and the residues they emit into the air, water and food crops. Human cells in our bodies also contain some natural radiation, in the shape of potassium-40. Diminishing of the ozone provides less protection against the cosmic rays at higher altitudes. Risk of exposure increases with increase in duration. In Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico of the United States, residents are receiving significantly more radiation from cosmic rays compared to other states. Explosion of a nuclear device in the atmosphere releases an intense shower of many radiations, most of which falls back on Earth in the immediate vicinity of the blast within hours. Within 80 to 160 hours of the blast, alpha and beta emitters can contaminate the air, water and food supplies. Some fall out is also pulled above into the upper atmosphere by wind currents and tied around the earth for years, even decades and constantly imposing to pollutions to a slow, steady shower of radioactivity. …show more content…
Power demands are doubling every decade in the United States. Now, nuclear power plants generate about 20% of the electricity in the United State. While there is 54 nuclear reactors generating 280 billion kilowatts in Japan. The nuclear energy used comes from Uranium-238, which is a non-renewable source. It begins with the mining, extraction, purification of uranium. Power is generated through fission from enriched uranium, releasing hundreds of highly radioactive by-products. Fission also produces heat, and this is what is used to create electricity. It takes 30 trillion fissioned uranium atoms to produce 1 kilowatt of electrical