A local student is on his way to the Canada-Wide Science Fair after receiving a gold medal for his research on theoretical solutions to the dangers of nuclear energy.
Zachary Ireland, an 11th grade student at Maples Met School, recently attended the Manitoba Schools Science Symposium, where his project also received the “Best Overall” award in the Seniors category.
SCOPE OF DELIVERY
Zachary Ireland, an 11th grade student at Maples Met School, received a gold medal at the Manitoba Schools Science Symposium for his nuclear energy research project.
“My project was about finding a substance that has a high probability of absorbing radiation,” said Ireland.
“Nuclear energy divides an atom in half and releases a lot of energy. In this case, about three neutrons are released, which then hit other atoms and can also split them. So it’s a big chain reaction that can be dangerous. It is So it’s good to have an element or substance in the reactor that can slow down this reaction so it doesn’t get out of hand.
“My project is not a complete project as anything can absorb radiation … There are millions of compounds available to test. For this project, however, I only selected seven specific items that I thought had the best potential. ”
Ireland found that cadmium has a roughly 60 percent chance of absorbing a neutron.
Nuclear energy offers a clean alternative to generating energy, as reactors do not emit greenhouse gases. It also generates more energy. For example, a nuclear reactor produces the same amount of energy as 431 utility-scale wind turbines, according to the US Department of Nuclear Energy.
There are more than 400 reactors in over 30 countries, including six in Canada. According to the government website, nuclear power generation accounted for around 15 percent of Canada’s electricity in 2018.
Despite its potential benefits, there are a number of reasons against expanding nuclear power generation, including the possible armament of nuclear technology and the lack of infrastructure for waste disposal. And while power plant meltdowns are rare, they have devastating effects.
As the world population increases – it is estimated that the number of people will rise from seven to nine billion by 2040 – so will the energy demand, which, according to the International Energy Agency, is expected to rise by 19 percent during this period.
Ireland said the fight against climate change is why investing in research and production in the field of nuclear energy is important.
“There really is no getting around it if we are to try to solve climate change. With climate change continuing to affect ecosystems, governments must definitely rely on (nuclear power).
“It’s important that we find something that can hold all the waste that (power plants) produce.”
The Manitoba Schools Science Symposium, held annually at the University of Manitoba, typically attracts more than 500 students from across the province. This year’s event took place online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ireland is among 10 Manitoba students selected to advance to the national fair, which will be held practically between May 17th and 21st.
Sydney Hildebrandt
The Times community journalist
If The Buggles’ 1979 breakout single was about Sydney, it could be called Print Killed the Radio Star. Prior to joining Canstar Community News, Sydney hosted and reported on several local news radio stations in rural Manitoba. After finding that she enjoyed writing more than speaking, Sydney moved to Winnipeg just months after graduating from Carleton University in Ottawa with a degree in journalism and geography. Through clenched teeth and frozen fingers, she has come to appreciate Winnipeg – numbing winters and everything. When she’s not in the newsroom, Sydney plays card games, listens to music, and writes content for her friends that are too cheap to hire a PR team. Sydney has a strong heart for community news and believes any neighborhood, city, and township is better off because of it – although they may be biased. Sydney loves learning about communities and what makes them tick. That’s why she’s grateful to be a reporter covering northwestern Winnipeg neighborhoods where resilience and innovation are abundant. She can be reached at [email protected]
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