Introduction
Security of people in the United States remains one of the top priorities of President Barack Obama’s government. It is thus therefore not unusual to find the United States in conflict with nations which tend to threaten world peace. The Iranian and Syrian conflicts are some of the latest examples of this situation. This is because the two nations are suspected to be in possession of nuclear plants which pose a threat to the safety of many people around the world.
Stakeholders in the Nuclear Energy Sector
The major stakeholders in the nuclear community comprise of national regulatory authorities, industrialists, and environmentalists. Other stakeholders include public interest organizations, the media, and local and national populations.
Pro Specific Stakeholders
Industrialists
Industrialists in the United States such as Charles B. Yulish through the Nuclear Energy Institute argue that nuclear energy is a relatively lower cost source of energy because of its inexhaustible nature. It would provide the energy needs of their industries sufficiently. It is thus an economical source of energy for their production plants. This will help in boosting the growth of industries which is critical for trade and commerce.
Climate scientists
Climate scientists such as James Hansen, Kerry Emanuel, Kenneth Caldeira and Tom Wigley argue that the time to embrace nuclear energy is now. The waste emitted from use of nuclear power is less radioactive as compared to green house gas emissions for instance. This will have less effect on global warming because of the relatively lower emission of gases.
Nuclear companies
Designers and operators of nuclear facilities such as America Atomic Inc and Uranium Resources Inc make substantial profits from lucrative deals that they obtain from industrialists and governments to set up nuclear plants on their behalf.
Con Specific Stakeholders
National governments
The setting up of nuclear plants entails numerous administrative and regulative measures by the international bodies such as the United Nations that are cumbersome for many countries to comply with. The government of the United States encounters trust issues over nuclear plants in countries such as North Korea and Syria that they do not share cordial relationships with. It also considers nuclear plants to be targets of terrorist attacks and during times of war.
Industrialists
American industrialists such as Mark Hibbs who occupies the position of a senior associate in a nuclear policy program, argue that the initial costs of setting up a nuclear plant are extremely high and technical in nature.
General populations
The occurrence of nuclear accidents can result in hazardous effects on the health and lives of the general population. Adequate mechanisms must be put in place to protect the welfare of the public. President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has come under serious criticism from the United States government after the alleged ‘nuclear accident’ that claimed the lives of innocent people.
Conclusion
The United States should carefully review its foreign policy laws regarding nuclear energy. This is because nuclear energy is a sensitive issue that can provoke outright nuclear war. It is the general public that suffers in such instances. The approach adopted should be more consultative, and less confrontational.
Works Cited
Gordon, Michael R. "Kerry Presses Iranians to Prove Nuclear Work is for Peaceful Purposes." The New York Times [New York] 25 Jan. 2014: n. pag. Print.
Wood, J. Nuclear Power. London: Institution of Engineering and Technology, 2007. Print.
