Nuclear Power – The Cons in the Debate (original) (raw)

E VER SINCE man learnt to harness fire for his own benefit, as civilization progressed, mankind’s demand for energy as an instrument for economic and social development has increased by leaps and bounds. Primitive man had only the strength of his arms and the use of fire. Later he tamed animals as new sources of energy; they were used to pull plows and wagons and to move from one place to another. He discovered how to use the wind energy to move boats and ships. He used the water energy to move mills. A new stage in the development of the use of energy came at the end of the feudal period with the invention of steam engine, which ushered in the Industrial Revolution. Then introduction of power driven machinery led to explosive increase in production which transformed the basically rural and agricultural society into urban and industrial society in the capitalist world. Coal was then the principal source of energy. Subsequently petroleum and natural gas were discovered and these two ...