Nuclear. The issue has undoubtedly raised concerns and worries of the world regarding its use. Many have sworn against the use of this energy for destruction, that is, in the form of nuclear weaponry, deriving from nuclear reactions of either nuclear fission or the more powerful fusion. History has left the world with a scar, reminding us of the doom and devastation the technology has caused. However, with the increase in international conflicts, we are now seeing the rise of regional arms races. A race for power, and yet for deterance. Let us now look into the reason behind this growing and paradoxical necessity.

The Political Factor

Extracted from: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3249782,00.html

Response of Dr. Shahram Chubin, the director of studies at the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP), regarding the dangers of potential nuclear bombs in Iran and the options of decision makers: "I believe that Iran is interested in the weapon. It will provide Iran with status and influence in the region. It will also afford an internal legitimacy – the nuclear program is very much the regime's need to offer its people something instead of a rundown economy and shaky foreign relations. That's the reason they treat the progress of the nuclear program in terms of 'respect' do not allow the enrichment to be done outside Iran."

One of the rather obvious reasons for having nuclear technology would be to gain the power and respect from the other countries. Imagine, having the key to unlocking a weapon, whose small amount has the potential to wipe out an entire city. Countries have used this technology as a warning sign; to deter the enemies, to prevent any unnecessary outbreak of war or to demand respect for their sovereignity. However, many wanted to gain utmost supremacy and power while maintaining peace. This can be seen during the nuclear arms race, the competition for supremacy in nuclear weapons between the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was a time where both governments devoted massive amounts of resources to increasing the quality and quantity of their nuclear arsenal. Stalin saw the need to compete as he realised that the Americans were monopolizing the nuclear market. It was this that had led the Soviets to develop more atomic weapons, to stay on par with their competitors and to allow an equal spread of power in the economy.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/no_nukes/tenw/nuke_war.htm

The threat of nuclear is also the reason behind the rush for the technology. Those within approximately a six square mile area (for a 1 megaton blast) will indeed be close enough to "ground zero" to be killed by the gamma rays emitting from the blast itself. Ghostly shadows of these people will be formed on any concrete or stone that lies behind them, and they will be no more. They literally won't know what hit them, since they will be vaporized before the electrical signals from their sense organs can reach their brains. The aftermaths of such weapons are also horrendous; it will cause the internal molecular structure of the living cells within their bodies to break down as a result of the disruptive effects of the high radiation dose they received. The destructive potential of this weapon is enough to deter many from invading a country that owns it. It will prevent war and help promote peace.

Social/Economical Factor

Taken from: http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm

Nuclear technology has the power and is already providing about 17 percent of the world's electricity. Nuclear power plants rely on the method of nuclear fission. This process releases an incredible amount of energy, in the form of heat and gamma radiation, when a single atom splits. Need an example? A pound of highly enriched uranium, equal to something on the order of a million gallons of gasoline, can be used to power a nuclear submarine or nuclear aircraft carrier. Many countries have tapped on the potential of uranium to empower themselves. An added bonus would be the fact that nuclear energy is environmentally friendly and more effective as compared to fossil fuels. It will also result in lesser wastage as 95% of spent fuel can be recycled to be returned to usage in a power plant.

Conclusion We have all seen the devastation caused by the use of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the days of World War II. The Chernobyl disaster has also reminded us of the harm of nuclear; a 2005 report prepared by the Chernobyl Forum attributed 56 direct deaths (47 accident workers, and nine children with thyroid cancer), and estimated that as many as 9000 people, among the approximately 6.6 million most highly exposed, may die from some form of cancer (one of the induced diseases). Despite history's repeated warnings, many are still continuing their pursuit for this technology due to its equally impressive benefits as well. We can also see that the threat of nuclear knows no boundaries; this can be seen in the Chernobyl disaster, where the effects crosses international boundaries, and the Iranian nuclear conflict, where many countries have their separate views regarding it. Technology has once again made the world smaller.