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Every day, the world is one step closer to having a full-out nuclear war. With a rise in the number of rogue nations acquiring nuclear weapons — Iran and North Korea, for example — and increased conflict between them, there has never been a better time to re-examine the United State's nuclear role and mission.
Instead of using our nuclear weapons as a deterrent and as part of our military arsenal, we should shift our current development of nuclear technology from weapons improvement to alternative energy development.
For some, this may be seen as a concerning assertion; we live in a world where rogue nations are developing and testing nuclear weapons, after all. Their concern is valid. As the strongest nation in the world we should not put ourselves at risk of a nuclear attack.
However, shifting our nuclear technology toward alternative energy does not put us in a vulnerable position for a nuclear attack. Our conventional weapons are definitely strong enough to conduct a strategic attack against any military installment. The truth of the matter is, our nuclear weapons are developed solely to be used in a war of attrition against a civilian population. Even in the early development of our nuclear weapons, we used our nuclear technology as weapons against a civilian population; we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war of attrition with Japan at the end of WWII.
Instead of making our nuclear technology a means of destruction like we did when we destroyed the lives of the innocent civilians living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we should begin to use our nuclear technology as a means of creation. We should use our nuclear technology to create a safe, secure and reusable alternative energy.
Right now, we are on the verge of developing new ways in which we can use our nuclear technology to develop a form of energy. However, we will never make any progress if we continue to not invest more in the development of our nuclear energy.
We do not have to continue this standstill in our nuclear energy if we begin a shift in the United States' nuclear mission and role from a focus on the improvement of nuclear weapons toward a development of nuclear energy.
There are a multitude of advantages to developing nuclear weapons in our country; for example, creating new jobs and securing our energy infrastructure.
Whenever there is a shift to the development of new technologies, there are new jobs that are created. This would be particularly beneficial for K-State and our nuclear engineering program, bringing more students to our program and prestige to our College of Engineering.
According to a study by the Energy Watch Group in Germany, one of our main energy resources - coal - could be depleted as early as 2025. If we do not begin to shift toward alternative energy, we are going to be in a very dangerous dilemma in the next 15 years.
There is no better time than now to begin this switch to alternative energy.
While shifting our nuclear role and mission toward the development of nuclear energy is a good idea, the U.S. government is not going to make this shift on its own. We as a society, and as the future of our country, need to take proactive steps to ensure that we begin to make this shift.
Samuel Brinton, senior in applied music and mechanical engineering, created a new branch of the campaign "Global Zero" on K-State's campus. Keep you eyes peeled for this new organization on campus and show your support for a nuclear weapon free world by getting involved.
-Molly McGuire is a sophomore in political science and speech. Please send comments to opinion@spub.ksu.edu.
