1. China

In 2016, China achieved the capacity of over 545 gigawatts of renewable energy. This was reported by the International Renewable Energy Agency. One of the biggest solar plants in the world is located in this country. It is called Longyangxia Dam Solar Park. 

It’s spread across a vast area of 27 square kilometres and has a capacity of 850 megawatts. Which can supply power to 200,000 households. The Three Gorges Hydroelectric Power Plant is also one of the biggest sources of renewable energy in China. With a capacity of 22.5 gigawatts, it is the world’s largest hydropower station.  Besides the generation of solar energy and hydropower, the country also generates about 148.6 gigawatts of wind power.

2. USA

The United States of America had an overall renewable energy capacity of a little over 214 gigawatts in 2016. Nearly 14,004 megawatts of wind projects were under construction in 2017. This was stated in a report released by the American Wind Energy Association. 

The report also said that 11,815 megawatts of wind projects were in the advanced development stage. Over 52,000 commercial wind turbines were operating in 41 states of the country in mid-2017. 

Two of the major solar energy projects in the US are located in California. They are the 579-megawatt Solar Star project and the 550-megawatt Desert Sunlight Solar Farm.

3. Brazil

In 2016, this country had an overall renewable energy capacity of more than 122 gigawatts. A major portion of this included the hydroelectric power plants. Towards the end of 2016, Brazil achieved the hydropower capacity of over 98 gigawatts. 

The country has one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the world. It is called Tucurui Hydropower Complex and is located on the lower Tocantins River in Tucurui. This hydroelectric power plant has a capacity of 8.3 gigawatts. Brazil also achieved a wind power generation capacity of 10.7 gigawatts in 2016.

4. Germany

Germany had a renewable energy capacity of over 105 gigawatts in 2016. The country’s wind energy capacity was 49.7 gigawatts and its solar power capacity was 40.9 gigawatts. Bundesnetzagentur, the German energy regulator, launched a tender for an onshore wind capacity of 1 gigawatt in 2017.

Germany increased its installed wind energy capacity between the years 2017 and 2019. According to ICIS, this was made possible through tenders for 2.8 gigawatts per year.

5. Canada

The renewable energy capacity of this country was over 96 gigawatts in 2016. Most of this was contributed by the country’s hydropower plants. Canada’s hydropower capacity in 2016 stood at 80.7 gigawatts. In the same year, its solar power capacity was 2.7 gigawatts. 

Canada’s wind power capacity was more than 11 gigawatts in 2016. The country was home to Annapolis Royal Generating Station. It was one of the few tidal power generating stations in the world. In 2019, it was shut down following substantial fish mortality issues.

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Experts still ponder over the reasons why a country starts or abandons its nuclear weapons program. Specific explanations on a nation’s motivations for acquiring or not acquiring nuclear arsenal have often been inadequate. However, here are some of the reasons stopping the world from being nuclear free:

1. Dominance

Some countries believe that the only way to achieve a certain degree of dominance is to possess nuclear weapons. This leads them to develop the best possible nuclear arsenals through research and development. 

Any country having nuclear weapons in its possession is capable of inflicting maximum damage on another nation. This belief is used as a tool for keeping their enemy nations at bay. The countries that want to assert their dominance may find it hard to let go of their nuclear weapons.

2. Self-defence

An increased focus on security also becomes a big reason for certain countries to acquire nuclear weapons. They see many countries, especially some of their neighbours, as a threat to their national security. 

When this is their approach, they consider nuclear weapons as powerful means to ward off a possible external aggression. It was a widely accepted fact that countries facing major security problems will pursue nuclear weapons program actively.

3. International status

There is also a perception that possession of nuclear weapons raises the status of a country globally. In the times of cold war, this was acknowledged by many countries. As a result, it served as a motivation for many to pursue their goal of acquiring nuclear arsenal. 

Many countries had ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This did not stop some of them from pursuing their nuclear weapons program later on. North Korea and Iran are the examples of such countries.

4. Domestic politics

Countries facing a turmoil in domestic politics sometimes use their nuclear weapons program to divert public attention. There are times when a country’s leadership is under threat following a public outcry. In order to divert the attention of public, the nuclear weapons program may be used by the leadership. 

When such an issue surfaces, negative reactions often come in from the international community. This stirs up nationalist sentiments in the country’s citizens and they forget about their dissent. Thus, the country’s regime may end up strengthening its position after successfully diverting public attention.

According to some experts, a total of thirty-nine countries were once involved in acquiring nuclear weapons. Most of them abandoned their quest of acquiring such weapons over the years. There are primarily two reasons for this. One is the enormous resources needed for making reliable and deliverable nuclear weapons. 

Second is the threat of a large-scale disaster that may happen as a result of using them. In recent times, the number of nations involved in the development of nuclear weapons has been quite low. There is immense hope among the international community that a nuclear-free world would soon become a reality.

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Of course, the road to complete nuclear disarmament in the world is quite long with many bumps. However, the good news is that something significant is happening in this regard. One considers national security, terrorism, and other threats while thinking of eliminating nuclear weapons.

Nevertheless, it’s also important to know the reasons why the world must be free of nuclear weapons:

1. A big strain on resources

The research, development, and maintenance of nuclear weapons put a lot of strain on a country’s finances. From 1940 to 1996, the United States spent over 5 trillion dollars on nuclear weapons programs. It continues to spend billions of dollars annually on these programs. 

Things would be so different if such amounts were spent on health, education, and people’s welfare. It is apparent that the current nuclear powers of the world are losing out on the available opportunities.

2. The nuclear arms race

The nuclear powers often justify their nuclear weapons program by citing national security as the reason. It creates an impression among other nations that their national security must also be based on nuclear arsenals. 

Eventually, this will lead to a nuclear arms race. This will certainly increase the possibility of conflict between two nations escalating into a nuclear war. It is, therefore, extremely important that the nuclear powers act on eliminating such disastrous weapons.

3. Threat of terrorist attacks

The presence of nuclear weapons, their production, and storage facilities always face the threat of terrorist attacks. The best example is Russia. After the breakup of former Soviet Union, the nation’s command and control system has weakened considerably. This has made their nuclear arsenal vulnerable to attacks from terrorists. 

Enormous amounts are spent on the safety, security, and maintenance of nuclear facilities. Besides, these weapons are not helpful in countering terrorism. This is due to the fact that terrorist groups or camps are often unlocatable.

4. Possibility of nuclear accidents

Some dangerous accidents can occur at nuclear facilities due to natural disasters or human errors. There are two examples that point out to this fact. One is Ukraine’s Chernobyl disaster, which took place in 1986. The initial explosion caused the deaths of 30 employees. Many negative health effects on people were seen across Russia and Eastern Europe as a result of this incident. 

The second example is of nuclear meltdowns that happened at a power plant in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture. This was caused by an earthquake and tsunami that occurred in 2011. In both the cases, there was a significant increase in cancer rates among populations living nearby.

5. Concentration of power

Not all nations are nuclear powers. Those who do possess nuclear weapons always run the risk of giving their leaders the power to destroy the world. If such individuals fall prey to misunderstanding or misjudgment, it can put the entire world at risk. 

Even in democratic countries, the power of decision-making rests upon their presidents or prime ministers. The citizens who vote for them in elections are rarely informed about some critical decisions.

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What’s saddening is the fact that these two bombs killed many individuals who were utterly innocent. It was dropped at a time when many industrial workers were at work. Many were on their way to the industrial units. Children were in their schools. Most of them perished in these bombings for no fault of their own.

Reason behind the bombings

In the Second World War, Japan was one of the biggest enemies of the United States. Towards the final stages of the war, the relations between these two countries worsened. The Japanese forces were planning to capture the oil-rich areas of the East Indies. The Japanese had also expressed their intention to fight the war till the end publicly. 

They started using kamikaze attacks, which involved pilots suicide-diving against warships of the United States. Harry Truman, then US president, was left with no other alternative but to use the atomic bombs.

Why Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

At the time of the bombings, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were of great military significance. Hiroshima was an industrialized city with several military units located close to it. Among them was the headquarters of the Second General Army, which defended the southern part of Japan. 

The city of Nagasaki was one of southern Japan’s largest seaports at the time of World War II. It was the place where ordnance, military equipment, ships, and other war materials were produced.

Impact of the bombings

Not just the humans, practically all living beings were burned to death by the bombs. The heat and pressure resulting from the blast was that devastating. Things didn’t end there. More people died in the coming years owing to the effects of radiation released from the explosion. 

Nearly half of those who died due to leukemia were exposed to radiation. Birth defects were also seen in children born to women who were pregnant during the bombings.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki in recent times

The two are thriving, vibrant cities today and are home to more than a million people. One can find very little evidence of the destruction that the terrifying weapons unleashed on them. The parks and structures created in memory of the bombings and the people they killed get many visitors today. 

Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to visit Hiroshima and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. He had visited the city in 2016. While writing in the visitors’ book, he hoped for the spread of peace and a world without nuclear weapons.

The TPNW (Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons)

This is also known as the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty. It was adopted on the 7th of July 2017 and came into force on the 22nd of January 2021. It became the first legally binding international agreement that aimed to eliminate nuclear weapons. No nuclear-armed country has supported this treaty. However, it is being considered as the first major step towards creating a nuclear-free world.

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On the 11th of March 2011, an earthquake and tsunami hit the eastern part of Japan. This caused a major accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The reactors lost their external power source as a result of the earthquake. 

As the tsunami levels went much higher than the plant, the backup diesel generators were disabled. It also damaged the cooling systems of the reactor. As the radiation contaminated larger areas surrounding the plant, almost half a million residents were relocated. 

In order to avoid such disasters in the future, some better alternatives are being considered in recent times:

1. Solar Power

Earlier, solar energy systems could be used only by the wealthy owing to their high costs. Today, the costs have reduced considerably. The solar paneling systems are now accessible to a larger population. 

Many of the larger countries of the world have started implementing solar energy, including India and China. Large business organizations are also investing significant amounts in reusable solar systems. It is expected that the use of solar energy systems will increase with further decrease in costs.

2. Hydrogen

Hydrogen is not available naturally on earth in the form of gas, but it can be manufactured. It is one of the elements found in abundance in the earth’s crust. This gas is found in water, coal, and petroleum. As it is lighter than air, it rises into the atmosphere. Hydrogen has the highest amount of energy by weight when compared to any of the common fuels. 

By volume, it has the lowest energy content. Hydrogen is often referred to as a carrier of energy. It, therefore, can be used to store, move, and deliver energy in a form that is convenient to use. Electricity is one such form.

3. Natural Gas

Natural gas is abundantly available in many parts of the world. At the moment, it is available in quantities that can produce sufficient energy for about 250 years. It is currently the third largest source of energy after oil and coal. With the use of appropriate generators, natural gas can be developed for commercial use. 

Considering the dangers of the dependence on nuclear power, natural gas is certainly a good option. When compared with all the other fossil fuels, natural gas is less polluting. The lesser costs involved in its production also makes it a better choice for generating electricity.

4. Wind Energy

Being a free, clean, and renewable source of energy, the wind is greatly favored as an alternative energy source. In fact, wind is a more efficient source of energy than the sun. As wind turbines release lesser carbon dioxide compared to the solar panels, they are more environment-friendly. 

Wind turbines consume less energy and generate more of it. One wind turbine can generate the amount of energy produced by over 48,000 solar panels. Wind energy, therefore, is more cost-efficient than nuclear or solar energy.

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