America needs to utilize nuclear fission as an energy source. Although people say that nuclear power plants are too dangerous to keep running and also expensive to build, the power plants are quite safe and they pay for themselves over time with their radioisotopes and electricity. The main controversy over nuclear fission is about the radioactive waste that it produces. Yes, it produces radioactive waste, but that same waste can be used in different ways to help America. It is time that Americans became conscious of nuclear fission’s benefits. 

​

Nuclear fission helps America economically. One example of nuclear fission’s contribution to America’s economy is its energy efficiency. Ludwik Kowalski, a Polish physicist, and John M. Theilmann state that “the United States . . . obtains 20 percent of its electric power from nuclear energy” ([3]), and Alok Kumar, a prominent physicist in the nuclear field, says that this energy is generated by the one hundred and four nuclear plants that are running in the United States ([1]). If America decommissioned all one hundred and four nuclear plants, then it would have to find some other economically sound way to supply the missing twenty percent of its energy production. 

​

Another example of how nuclear fission helps America economically is that it creates jobs for America’s citizenry. Rudolph, another prominent person in the area of nuclear fission, states that “trained personnel are needed at all levels to . . . safely operate [the] nuclear power plants” ([10]). This means that nuclear power plants need American citizens in order to run. Don Franceschetti, a man who knows the science and history of physical sciences, says, “scientific and technical staff in the nuclear power industry will . . . have many jobs open to them, even outside the traditional area of energy production.” ([15]). This quote shows us that people who get training in the nuclear field will be needed in many positions both inside and outside of the nuclear power field. 

​

Nuclear fission also helps America industrially. An example of nuclear fission’s assistance in the industrial field is its contribution to food production. Pereslavtsev, a knowledgeable, scientific writer, et al. tells us that “up to 30% of the food harvest is commonly lost due to pollution before consumption. In order to kill bacteria, food products are subjected to gamma irradiation” ([3]). Nuclear fission produces the radioisotopes that emit the gamma radiation needed for the killing of bacteria to help preserve America’s food crops. Not only does nuclear fission help preserve America’s food crops, but it also helps increase the yield of food crops, which can be sold to anyone living in America. Parmeshwar K. Sahu, a person knowledgeable in this field of study, et al. say that “several techniques have been developed for increasing the food production and their sustainable utilization. Interestingly, nuclear radiation based techniques are important among them” (Abstracts [115]). 

​

Another example of nuclear fission’s contribution to America’s industry is its use in testing the quality of merchandise and various construction elements. First we need to understand how nuclear fission helps us through its technology. Joseph Rudolph states that “nuclear technology produces its benefits . . . by exposing nonnuclear matter to radiation” ([6]). This quote shows us how nuclear fission helps us generally, and we need this knowledge to understand how nuclear fission helps us at the construction site and in the factory. In the same article, Rudolph explains how “pipeline crews routinely use radiation waves to test the durability of welds” ([8]). If the durability of welds was not known, then weak welds would be thought to be strong ones and would burst open under pressure, and this would delay the building of factories, roads, and houses. This is the effect of nuclear fission in construction, but this effect can also be helpful in our factories to test the quality of merchandise. Grace A. Banks states that “radioisotopes can be used to measure thickness of all types of . . . materials” ([5]). These materials include steel, which is used in the making of cars, and without the proper thickness of metal the car will be destroyed when pushed too much. 

​

Nuclear fission helps America medically in two different ways, and the first of them is by diagnosing diseases. Pereslavtsev tells us that “medicine applies nuclear radiation to give rationality about the status of different organs in a human body” ([2]). JJ Albertini goes into greater detail and says that “nuclear medicine has an important role in assessing . . . head and neck tumors, and breast cancer.” (Prvulovich and Bomanji [6]). Without nuclear fission America would not know about the nuclear radiation that is helpful in examining the inside of a human body to see if someone has a kidney stone or tumor without cutting them open. 

​

Not only is nuclear fission helpful in diagnosing diseases, but it is also helpful in treating them. Rudolph states that many people have been saved from death by the treatment of cancer with radioisotopes ([8]). People undergo radioactive treatment where they are subjected to a specific dosage of radioactivity from radioisotopes, and this radioactivity kills any cancerous tissue. Vasiliki Zoi, a knowledgeable person in the medical field, states with others that “nuclear medicine has significantly contributed to the development of new tools for the treatment of different tumors" ([10]), and Pereslavtsev, et al. says that “Worldwide, almost 40 million treatments are performed per year” ([1]).  Because of nuclear fission, many American lives have been saved from death. 

​

Nuclear fission has been a very controversial topic for the citizens of America, and it does not have to be so. Nuclear fission may be dangerous in some ways, but engineers and physicists are working on new ways to make it safer. Yes, these power plants take a while to build, but the earlier they are started in the construction process the sooner they will be finished. People also like to say that renewable energy sources are better in every way than nuclear energy, but this is not so. Renewable energy sources need some more development in their energy storage techniques before they can be used practically. Nuclear energy on the other hand is already putting forth energy day and night, and does not need any more development; any development done on fission plants is to make them safer, not help them store or create electricity. Instead of being afraid of nuclear fission, America must appreciate the benefits of nuclear fission.