Nuclear power

energy

Warm-up questions
How is nuclear fuel produced?
Are you in favor or against nuclear power?

What are the pros and cons of it?

What is the fear involving these type of
energy production?
Do you know about any nuclear power
accident?
In your opinion are humans really taking into
account environmental problems as priority?

Vocabulary
Handwringing: the clasping together and

squeezing of one's hands, especially when

distressed or worried
Crimp: have a limiting or adverse effect on
(something)
hobble: prevent, stop
Pledge: promise
short notice: short period of time
Fissile: (of an atom or element) able to
undergo nuclear fission.

Irans Nuclear Program

By Jonathan Tirone | Updated Feb 4, 2016
10:58 AM EST
Irans nuclear capabilities have been the subject of
global hand-wringing for more than two decades.
While Irans leaders insist the country is not building
nuclear weapons, its enrichment of uranium and
history of deceptioncreated deep mistrust. After more
than two years of negotiations and threats to bomb the
countrys facilities, Iran and world powersagreedin
July 2015 to settle the dispute. The deal sets limits on
the Islamic Republics nuclear work in exchange for
relief from economic sanctions that crimped oil exports
andhobbledits economy. International monitors
verifiedthat Iran had followed through on its pledge in
January, and the countrys oil producers and banks
began toreturn to world markets.

The Situation
Under thedeal, Iran maintains the ability to enrich uranium for
peaceful purposes. It will retain about 5,000centrifugescapable
of separating theuranium-235isotope from uranium ore. For 15
years, it agreed to refine the metal to no more than 3.7 percent
enrichment, the level needed to fuel nuclear power plants, and
pledged to limit its enriched-uranium stockpile to 300 kilograms,
3 percent of itsstores in May2015. The
International Atomic Energy Agency had already verified that Iran
eliminated its stockpile of 20 percent-enriched uranium, which
can be usedto make medical isotopes and to power research
reactors but could also be purified to weapons-grade at
short notice. Keeping an enrichment capability was important to
Iran, presumably for reasons of national pride. Like other
enriching countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Japan and South
Africa, the technology gives Iran the ability to pursue nuclear
weapons should it choose to break its commitments. The U.S.
estimates that the agreement extends the time it would take Iran
to produce enough fissile material for a bomb from a few months
to a year.

Video vocabulary
Warhead: the explosive head of a missile,

torpedo, or similar weapon.