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    The document summarizes an ongoing debate between representatives arguing for and against the use of nuclear energy. A man advocating for nuclear energy points to a graph showing it has caused fewer deaths than coal per unit of electricity produced. However, another representative counters that radioactive elements can cause both immediate and long-term health effects like cancer. As the debate continues, one of the facilitators notes it has not made any progress towards a resolution.

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    The document summarizes an ongoing debate between representatives arguing for and against the use of nuclear energy. A man advocating for nuclear energy points to a graph showing it has caused fewer deaths than coal per unit of electricity produced. However, another representative counters that radioactive elements can cause both immediate and long-term health effects like cancer. As the debate continues, one of the facilitators notes it has not made any progress towards a resolution.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    27 views2 pages

    Thedebate Wolfson

    Uploaded by

    api-265951793
    The document summarizes an ongoing debate between representatives arguing for and against the use of nuclear energy. A man advocating for nuclear energy points to a graph showing it has caused fewer deaths than coal per unit of electricity produced. However, another representative counters that radioactive elements can cause both immediate and long-term health effects like cancer. As the debate continues, one of the facilitators notes it has not made any progress towards a resolution.

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    of 2

    TheDebate

    byDonaldWolfson

    Iwasabruptlyawakenedfrommydazeinaquickmannerfromthemanwho
    begantoprojecthisvoiceloudly.
    Justlookatthestatistics!themanshoutedashequicklystoodupand
    begantopointatalargebargraphperchedupnexttohim,Cantyouseethat
    nuclearenergyhasafarlessofadeathcountthancoal!hecontinuedasthe
    hevigorouslykeptpointingatthegraph.
    Ilookedclosely,thegraphshowedmultipleformsofelectricity
    production.Eachwasscaledbydeathpertenbillionkilowattsproduced,it
    factoredinaccidentsduringminingtocivilianfatalitiesduetobreathingin
    thefumesproducedbythefactories.Coalwasatthetopwithdoubletheamount
    ofdeathsthanhydroelectricitywhichisrightunderit.Nuclearenergywasat
    theverybottomofthegraphwith.2deathspertenbillionkilowatts.
    Thismanispartofagroupwhovebeenspeakingforwhatseemedtohave
    beenhours.IcouldntsayhowlongsinceIwouldntconsidermyselfcompletely
    awakeuntilthemandecidedtoshout.Ilookedoveratthelargetimerthatsat
    intheinmiddleoftheroomsplittingthismanandhispartyfromtheother
    groupofrepresentatives.
    MynameisJohnandIvebeenselectedwiththeotherfourofmy
    colleaguestofacilitatethiscouncil.WearepartoftheUnitedNations,and
    arehavingyetagain,thisdiscussion.Thisdiscussionthatsparkeditshighest
    andmostglobalwidespreadduetothecrisisbackin1986.Whenthatdisaster
    destroyedthelivesofthousands,andleftmanytofleetheirhome.Ithasbeen
    thirtyyearssincethen,thisdebatehasnotbeenfinished.Notonlydidthat
    incidentcausethisdiscussion,butascaronethousandandfoursquaremiles
    largeonorworldknownasChernobyl.Thisdebatecouldendoneofthemost
    powerfulenergyresourcesthatcouldpoweranentirecitytobebanned,and
    neverusedagain.
    Matt,Robert,Jack,RebeccaandIsitinthecenterthisauditoriumwith
    alltherepresentativesfrombothpartiessittingoneithersideoftheroom.
    Theylookdownatus,theoneswhocanthaveanypersonalopiniononthe
    matter.Evenifyouvelostalovedonetoeitherthefumesofafossilfuel
    plant,ortooneofthemanyformsofcancer,youropinionisnotwhatmatters
    theonlythingthatdoesmatteristhelawsofhumanrights,health,andsafety
    thatweasacouncilhaveagreedonwhenwewerefounded.
    Theclockgettingcloser,andcloserto0:00andthenitresetstobegin
    thenextgroup'sturn.Theclockwasbarelyfivesecondsfromhittingzeroand
    therepresentativeforthenextgroupwasalreadystandingandclearinghis
    throat.
    Outcameasighfrommycolleaguewhosatontheleftofme,
    Herewegoagain.ashewasbarelyholdinghisheadupwithhishand.The
    timerwentofwithitsobnoxiousheadringingnoisethatleftmeunabletohear
    thefirstpartoftherepresentativesrant.

    Therearemanyhealthriskswithradioactiveelementsotherthandeath.
    Radioactiveelementscandamageyourcellsintwoways,somatic,andgenetic
    damage.Somaticdamagetocellsiswhenyouhavedirectcontactwiththe
    radioactiveelementdestroyingacell.Dependingontheamountofradioactivity
    youarearound,youcanhavevisualdamageonyourbody.Thiscanvaryfrom
    sickness,burns,orevenorganfailure.Ontheotherspectrum,geneticdamage
    iswhenthereproductionsofcellsisdamagedandcausesmalfunctioningcells
    tobeproducedthatcancreateaformofcancer.Theseareonlyafewexamples
    ofthedangersthatradioactiveenergycancausetopeoplearoundthepower
    plantsortotheminerswhoextracttheelementfromtheground.Though
    fatalitiesarentashighasmostfossilfuels,radioactivityisthecausesof
    theworstthreattousasaspecies,andthatthreatiscancer.
    Astherepresentativeproudlymilkedeverysecondofhistimegiven,he
    finallysatdownwithbarelyasecondremaining.Hebroughtupsomegood
    points,thesetwomajortypesofenergyarebothjustasdeadly.Itsmainlya
    choiceofifthefatalitiesareinthelongrunorintheshortrun.
    Thisdebatehasntmovedanywheresincethemomentitbegan,andit
    wontbeanytimesoon.Mycolleaguesaidjustquietenoughtobemuffledby
    theclappingoftherepresentativesspeech.Icouldntagreewithhimanymore.

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