NUCLEARIZATION
- Laldanmawia
Introduction:
The development of Science and Technology brought out various circumstances in the world’s politics. The twentieth Century is a remarkable Era in which the two World Wars occurred, which in turn severely enriches the power nations to develop their armaments. Nuclear weapon is one of the results. The so called Nuclearization is thus one of the main issues in world politics till today. What is nuclearization? What is the situation of the World in this subject? Why does this issue have to be responded from Christian ethics? All these questions need to be responded. So, this paper discusses the meaning, purpose and issues of Nuclearization as well as Biblical/Theological response, Christian Ethical response and Church response.
1. Definition of Nuclearization:
To know about nuclearization, we have to be familiar first with what is nuclear? What is nuclear energy, nuclear power, nuclear weapons, etc?
Any matter or element is made up of tiny particle called molecules. In turn all molecules are created by tinier particle called atom. The inner or central part of atom is called nucleus.[1] Nucleus consist two particles like proton and neutron. When the nucleus of an atom splits into two, it produces enormous energy. This process is called nuclear fission. If two nuclei joined together it forms bigger nucleus and more energy is produced in the process called nuclear fusion.
According to Illustrated Oxford Dictionary; the energy released from the processes of fission and fusion is called Nuclear Energy. Nuclear Power is the power generated by nuclear reactor. And a weapon like missile, bomb, etc which uses the released energy by nuclear fission and fusion or both is called Nuclear Weapon. So, the word Nuclearization is coming from nuclearize which means to use and to develop nuclear power or energy. Thus the noun Nuclearization can be said that the utilizing and development of nuclear energy or power to make deadly weapons and to generate electricity.
There are two types of nuclear processing- fission and fusion. Nuclear fission is the splitting of a large atom like Uranium or Plutonium into several atoms. It releases several neutrons and enormous energy. Whereas Fusion is the combination of two small atoms such as hydrogen in order to produce heavier atoms and energy.[2]
2. Purposes of Nuclearization:
2.1. One of the purposes of nuclearization was to build deadly weapon like Atom bomb dropped in Japan in 1945. That was rapidly followed by the development of nuclear bombs and hydrogen bombs in large numbers. Nuclear bombs or other warheads are delivered by an aircraft, missile or other system.[3] Fission weapon is commonly known as Atomic bomb, released energy by splitting the nuclei of uranium or Plutonium atoms. Whereas fusion weapon known as Hydrogen bomb or thermonuclear bomb is from the nuclei of Hydrogen isotopes tritium and deuterium. Most modern nuclear bombs are combined with the process of fission and fusion.
2.2. Another purpose of Nuclearization is to produce energy. The energy produced by the fission and fusion processes is used to generate electricity. It can produce low cost electricity. It also fuels submarines and ships.[4] Nuclear reactors contribute a lot of powers used among the nuclear countries. Therefore the cheap, clean but powerful contribution has encouraged the countries to develop their electricity using this nuclear reactor more and more.
3. Some Issues on Nuclearization:
3.1. Cold War (Nuclear Arm Race): Cold war is not an actual war. Rather it was abstract war fought between USA and Soviet Union from the ending of the Second World War till 1991. Nuclear arm race was one of their main battle fields. The detonation of Atom bombs in Japan in 1945 was followed by the Soviet Union’s project of Atomic weapons. These two nations race each other in the development of nuclear warheads. They developed in large number. The race reached its peak in 1980’s when US had some 33,000 nuclear weapons and Soviet Union had 38,000.[5] In the end of Cold War, both countries decommissioned and dismantled thousands of warheads.
Besides these two powers, other nations like United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, etc joined the race in the later part.
3.2. Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty: It is an international agreement to prevent the spread of nuclear technology.[6] The Treaty was signed by the United State, Britain and Soviet Union and other 59 countries in 1968. The three signatories agreed not to help non-nuclear countries to produce such power. Whereas other 59 countries decided not to attempt to develop nuclear power in order to create peaceful environment. Nuclear power nations like France and China declined to consent the treaty until 1992. At the same time some nuclear powers like Israel and Pakistan never signed it.[7]
3.3. Nuclear Test banned Treaty: In 1963, Nuclear Test Banned Treaty was signed by the three powerful countries- United State, Britain and Soviet Union. The intention of the Treaty was to prohibit the all kinds of nuclear test except underground test.[8] The treaty was signed followed by other 100 countries. In 1996, the Treaty was replaced by the Comprehensive Test-ban Treaty. In those time, the number of nuclear powers rose to 44 including India.
3.4. Nuclear Disarmament: Nuclear disarmament simply means the destruction and demolishing of nuclear weapons. By the end of Cold War, US and Soviet Union destroy a number of their nuclear warheads. It reduces the treacherous position of the World in a litptle bit. Some countries move resolution in the UN assembly to ban the use of such weapons.
3.5. Nuclear Radiation: Radiation itself is not bad at all. Rather it is simply the energy released by fission and fusion. There are three types of nuclear Radiation- alpha, beta and gamma. It is used in medical treatment in many ways. But the uncontrolled nuclear radiation is very much dangerous for living beings. We can suffer from radiation poisoning. Nuclear energy from nuclear power plant produces waste. The radiation remains active for thousands of years wherever the waste is thrown away.[9] They may damage blood and organs that can be deadly. The radiation produced from the Nuclear power station is very much contextual debating issue. Recently, Japan was struck by Tsunami happening from Earthquake, which damaged buildings, roads and many other places including Fukusima Nuclear Power Station on 12 March 2011. The station emitted radiations which could not be controlled by the scientists that resulted to the shifting of the people who live near to the station. The radiation emitting out could not stop till now. This nuclear radiation is the reason why some people lost their lives and the surrounding environment suffered. Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986 was one of the main big incidents where nuclear radiations emitted out.[10]
Other accidents and incidents took place as the following- Saint Laurent des Eaux, France in 1980, Three Mile Island, US in 1979, Jaslovské Bohunice, Czechoslovakia in 1977, Kyshtym, Russia in 1957, Windscale Pile, UK in 1957, Chalk River, Canada in 1952, Fleurus, Belgium in 2006, Tokaimura, Japan in 1999, etc[11]
4. Biblical and Theological response to Nuclearization:
The development of nuclear energy has two main purposes as we have said. The first and main intention is seem to have nuclear bombs which are according to them for defense purpose. Defense purpose in a sense means to take revenge when one is using towards them. It is the thing that many countries are preparing on this way. But from the teaching of the Bible human being are not to take revenge as well as to keep the world in peace. Developing nuclear is not the way for peace, rather is trouble. What we see in the First letter of Peter 3:9, we are taught not to repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but on the contrary to bless them. In other verses like Galatians 5: 26, John 13: 34, Matthew 5:44, we also see not to compete against one another, to love one another, to love our enemy, etc. But, we are far from these teachings, because nuclearization is more or less the same with the intention of subjugation of our enemies, our neighbors and our friends.
From the very beginning, nuclear power nations very much oppressed other inferior nations regarding the production of nuclear energy. They signed the treaty not to help non-nuclear nations to develop such a subject. At the same time nuclear big powers try to control them in exercising of smaller nations of nuclear power. For example, US always try to intervene to the nations who processing nuclear power by their own like Iran, North Korea etc. It is not right to do injustice where the former keeps many nuclear warheads while controlling the latter not to build up.
5. Christian Ethical Response to Nuclearization:
Christian Ethics is a critical reflection of the ethics on the light of Christian life. The character and teaching of Jesus Christ is the source. So if we look nuclearization from Christian ethical point of view, we have some interruptions again because of its two purposes. Nuclear electricity is the supplement of peoples’ needs it is looking good. But nuclear armament on the other hand is against Christian ethical teaching. Because it is not the way:
5.1. To love each other. Rather it is some kind of contradicting and fighting each other.
5.2. To make community. Rather it destroys the peaceful community life.
5.3. To help other. Rather it emphasizes on exploiting each other.
5.4. To forgive and pray for enemies. Rather the development of warheads is for taking revenge against the nation enemy who fights them.
6. Church Response:
By far Church or church union from different countries already protest against nuclear weapons developmewnt, especially nuclear tests. But the task is not enough. Churches have to work more to convince the nuclear powers to demolish or to reduce their nuclear warheads. It is also church union responsible to make nuclear free world. In doing so, World Council of Churches have to have voice on this. The Council should call member churches to join hands to work together for nuclear disarmament. It can also urge the nuclear possessed countries by involving in the world level meeting on this nuclear politics and also by doing demonstation.
The campaign for nuclear free state in some countries organised by Church Council really helps for the success. At the same time, in world level the World Council of Churches should broaden the working fields, because it has to be taken as the responsibility by the church to make the world peace. To oppose nuclear armaments and to support nuclear disarmaments is what the concrete response the church should make.
Conclusion:
From the above discussion it is obvious that nuclearization put the world into the treacherous position. If one nation is using nuclear weapon, other will follow soon. That’s means the world will be destroyed, because there is enough bombs and warheads to destroy the whole Earth several times. In the meantime, the positive result of nuclearization of generating electricity is of course cheap and strong, but on the contrary it is not safe for the people due to the leakage of waste radiation. If it is so, shall we depend more on powers generated by hydro electricity? Yes it is safer! But we could not simply ignore nuclear energy. Anyway the world is developing fast like anything; there will be a time when they could control the emission of waste radiation and do nuclear processing safer through which we will solve the scarcity of powers. Thus, Nuclearization leads the world into two ways- treacherous and useful.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Abrecht, Paul and Ninan Koshy, eds. Before It’s Too Late: the Challenge of Nuclear
Disarmament. Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1984.
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Edited by Anita Wolff. New Delhi: 2006: 1385-1386.
Britannica Learning Library, 2006 ed., “Nuclear reaction,” 235-236.
Illustrated Oxford Dictionary. India: Penguin Books Indian, 2006.
Mar Gregorios, Paulos. Disarmament and Nuclear Weapons. Delhi: ISPCK, 1998.
WEBLIOGRAPHY:
http://www.whatisnuclear.com/articles/nucenergy.html (19 August 2011).
[1] Britannica Learning Library, 2006 ed., “Nuclear reaction,” 235.
[4] Britannica Learning Library, 2006 ed., “Nuclear reaction,” 235.
[5] Britannica Concise Encyclopedia….
[6] Britannica Concise Encyclopedia….
[7] Britannica Concise Encyclopedia….
[8] Britannica Concise Encyclopedia….
[9] Britannica Learning Library, 2006 ed., “Nuclear reaction,” 235.
[11] http://www.whatisnuclear....
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