Radioactive Waste Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Radioactive Waste Management - Essay Example Hospitals and labs doing research work generate low-levels of radioactive waste. Also the nuclear fuel cycle generates it, however at this level the radioactivity lasts a short time and not dangerous to dispose of. The intermediate-level of waste should be disposed carefully as it contains higher amounts of radioactivity. The high-level waste may be the used fuel itself, or the waste generated from reprocessing the fuel. They contain long-lived radioactivity and also generates a high amount of heat. (AUA, 2007) Radioactive materials are themselves a threat, and shielding is required for their management. Their waste is even more a threat since it can affect millions of people throughout the area that has been exposed to, hence proper management is required. Since most of the radioactive waste can be reused for nuclear plants, its high cost and utility makes it important to manage it properly. Also management from the point of view of keeping radioactive materials secure is also important since in the wrong hands, radioactive materials can be used to spread terrorism in the world. (IAEA, 1995) Radioactive waste is hazardous for the natural environment in high quantities. Once the radioactivity escapes into the environment, humans and other species are exposed to ionizing radiation. Since humans are among the most radiation sensitive organisms, the effect can be as bad as or even worse than that happed to the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The natural resources would be destroyed over extended periods of time. Chemical pollution and adverse affect on the natural habitats of other species can de disastrous for our future generations. (IAEA, 1995) Political Impacts Keeping radioactive waste can be a threat to the security of a nation and even a threat to the world. Since terrorism is a very strong force in this world today, keeping radioactive waste provides an opportunity to these fanatics to take control of the waste and use them for their terrorist activities. Physical The radioactive waste requires special landfills with lead containers kept deep inside the earth. The land then becomes unusable due to threat of radioactive contamination. When an area becomes contaminated, it then becomes quarantined and involves a massive cleanup campaign. If the radioactive waste is short lived then usually the site becomes usable after the radioactive waste decays. However in the case of long-lived waste, suitable sites are cleared and dug up to facilitate the waste in deep final repositories. (IAEA, 1995) Economic The management of radioactive waste is often extremely expensive. According to an Israeli estimate, it costs $30,000 per ton to treat and properly dispose low-radioactive nuclear waste (Kloosterman, 2007). This cost is extremely high for even a developed country. According to Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), UK's nuclear waste clean-up program could cost more than 70bn (BBC, 2006). Responses Individuals Everyone at a personal level realizes the threat that radioactive waste poses for their country and to themselves. At a personal level, everyone should try to contain and limit the use of radioactive material in

Tourism in Madagascar Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Tourism in Madagascar - Term Paper Example People are not seeing Madagascar as a sustainable tourism spot. There lies the confusion. Ecotourism is defined as the travel to the destinations of the world where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are existent. They are the primary attractions for the tourists. They aim at minimizing the negative effects that are mostly caused due to traditional tourism on the natural environment (Butler, 2005). Sustainable tourism on the other hand focuses on bringing benefits to the local people, the environment and the economy. The concept of sustainable tourism has been slower in Madagascar, mainly due to the fact that people tour with an aim of seeing a natural environment (eco tourism). Madagascar's main originating market has been France. It is still unable to furnish products which are for sustainable tourism market, rather then just for ecotourism (Butler, 2005). Madagascar is located on the south-east coast of the African continent. Madagascar is the fourth largest island. It is larger than the States of California and Oregon. The island extends 100 miles in length and 360 miles in width. This democratic country lies in the Indian Ocean and is among the world's poorest countries. Madagascar, as being among the poorest countries, is mostly engaged in agriculture at a subsistence level. Citizens do not have options of choosing their desire career path. They have to dwell in whatever they have. They have to spend their life in whatever limited resources they can find. This poverty is causing crucial harm not only to the people living in Madagascar, but also to the endemic biodiversity of Madagascar. At present, the Madagascar's biodiversity need the presence of good tourist, tourist who will respect, care, and play a responsible role in saving the Madagascar's treasure of biodiversity. (Butler, 2005) If an individual is enthusiastic and looking for the unexpected, if one wants to meet an extraordinary people, then he or she must go and discover this fascinating island. That individual will certainly agree with the characterization made by world-explorer Dervla Murphy: "Apart from the Tibetans, I have never traveled among a people as endearing as the Malagasy." You will become attached to the country, verifying once more the Malagasy proverb: "They who drink the water from the Manangareza River always come back to Madagascar" (Mittermeier, 1988). Economy Madagascar is dominated by the agricultural sector. However with the establishment of a duty free export processing zone in 1990, there has been an increase in light manufacturing, particularly textile manufacturing and agricultural products processing (cf. Gossling and Jiddawi 2004). Despite the existence of natural tourist spots, biodiversities and cultural heritage, Madagascar is still among the poorest countries. The reasons