TechMUN 2015 International Atomic Energy Agency HS IAEA Thomas Jefferson High School Model United Nations Conference TechMUN 2015 High School General Assembly Chair: Jason Huang Chair: Jennifer Fang TechMUN at Stuart Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015 TechMUN 2015 International Atomic Energy Agency Dear Delegates of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Hey everyone! Our names are Jason Huang and Jennifer Fang, and we are both excited to be your chairs for TechMUN 2015. We both highly experienced in MUN and enjoy discussing current events, diplomacy, and foreign affairs. We are looking forward to all the great debate that will take place in this committee, and we hope that you are as excited as we are! Here’s a little bit about each of us. My name is Jason Huang and I am a first year student at the University of Virginia (Go Wahoos) and an alumni from Thomas Jefferson. I’ve been hooked on MUN ever since my first MUN experience in MS SPECPOL at TechMUN. Since middle school, I have been highly involved with the MUN throughout high school. Last year, I served as the Undersecretary General for TJMUN. I enjoy long walks on the beach while having intense conversation ranging from business to sports. I look forward to an eventful weekend full of exciting debate and creative solutions to pertinent world issues. My name is Jennifer Fang and I am a senior at TJHSST. I started MUN at WMHSMUN 2012 and have loved it ever since! My favorite MUN memory is ILMUNC 2014! TechMUN at Stuart Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015 TechMUN 2015 International Atomic Energy Agency This background guide will serve as a starting point for research in preparation for TechMUN 2015. Please email us if you have any questions after reading through the background guide or need clarification of any sort. Sincerely, Jason Huang Jennifer Fang TechMUN at Stuart Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015 TechMUN 2015 International Atomic Energy Agency TOPIC A: NUCLEAR SCIENCE FOR FOOD SECURITY Since the mid-20th century, food security has been one of the world’s primary concerns. It is becoming increasingly evident that the current food supply is insufficient to feel the world’s rapidly blooming population. From the IAEA’s estimates, the global production of nutritious food must increase by at least 70% by 2050 to feed the world’s population (Henriques). To combat the problem of food security, the IAEA is supporting nuclear technology programs and projects in over 100 countries (Henriques). Those efforts include using nuclear technology to increase both the quantity and quality of food through irradiation and contamination control (Henriques). Food irradiation uses ionizing radiation to increase food’s shelf life and kill germs and diseases (ANSTO). It is similar to pasteurizing food because the radiation can destroy bacteria like Salmonella and E. Coli which can cause life-threatening diseases (NEI). In the US, the FDA has approved irradiation of fruits, vegetables, pork, poultry, red meat, and many spices (NEI). More than 76 million Americans are affected by food-borne illnesses per year and more than 5,000 die due to those illnesses (NEI). The advent of nuclear technology to help solve the problem of food-related illnesses is an important discovery, but must be expanded upon to gain the maximum effectiveness. The advantages of using this kind of nuclear technology over traditional preservation techniques is that irradiation of food does not drastically change the appearance, taste, nutritional value, or quality of food. Contrary to some rumors, irradiated food does not absorb radiation and become radioactive because the doses of radiation used are too insignificant to induce radioactivity (ANSTO). TechMUN at Stuart Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015 TechMUN 2015 International Atomic Energy Agency Other uses of nuclear technology include using radiation to control insect populations. Use of pesticides can not only create environmental consequences and pollution, but it can also result in poisonous residues on food. Insects are also able to develop resistance to insect pesticides, which creates super bugs that are far beyond the control of current insecticides (ANSTO). The Sterile Insect Technique, currently used in Australia and other countries, involves sterilizing male insects through radiation and then releasing them into the native insect population (ANSTO). It is a harmless way of controlling the insect population without the usual use of toxic chemicals (ANSTO). The sterile insects do not develop any side effects and do not become radioactive or mutated. However, when they try to mate with wild females, no offspring are produced (ANSTO). Thus, the insect population is controlled. There are currently a plethora of scientific programs that use nuclear technology to improve food security; however, the implementation and expansion of such programs to all countries across the globe is a problem that the IAEA intends to tackle. We look forward to hearing your creative and innovative solutions! Questions to Consider: 1. What is the best way to introduce these technology programs to developing countries? 2. How should we allocate resources and efforts to expanding this sphere of research? 3. How should we tackle the issues of safety and educating the public about the safety of nuclear technology regarding food security. TechMUN at Stuart Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015 TechMUN 2015 International Atomic Energy Agency Works Cited "Food and Agriculture." ANSTO. Australian Government, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. "Food & Agriculture." Nuclear Energy Institute. NEI, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. Henriques, Sasha. "Contributing to Food Security with Nuclear Technologies." Contributing to Food Security with Nuclear Technologies. IAEA, 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. TechMUN at Stuart Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015 TechMUN 2015 International Atomic Energy Agency TOPIC B: NUCLEAR ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE The world has a climate and energy problem. Throughout history, human activity has driven the demand for energy to higher and higher ceilings while our consumption has led to dramatic influences on the world’s environment. There must be a balance of the two in order to insure a sustainable future for Earth. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, it is 95% certain that human activity has led to increasing greenhouse gas concentration (Nuccitelli). CO2 emissions, one of the major greenhouse gases, from fossil fuels have contributed to global warming by keeping thermal radiation from reflecting off the earth’s surface. In addition, these harmful emissions coming from energy producing sources have deteriorated the ozone layer which protects the Earth from the Sun’s UV radiation. Steps must be taken to reduce pollution from energy production activities to reduce the negative impact on not only the Earth’s climate, but also the Earth’s natural habitats. The world is deterring on the point of no return with climate change, if no substantial changes are made in regards to emissions and pollution the future livelihood of all citizens are at risk. As growth continues across the world, more and more energy will be consumed to drive the growth. Between 1990 and 2005, energy use increased by 23%, while CO2 emissions rose by 25% (Taylor). Out of all energy consumption, oil and fossil fuel products take up a major chunk leading to increasing greenhouse gas emissions. While growth and energy consumption should not be encouraged, the increasing emissions rate spells major repercussions through climate change. TechMUN at Stuart Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015 TechMUN 2015 International Atomic Energy Agency As the organization most directly related to energy, it is the IAEA’s responsibility to take an active role in the climate change debate. There are currently over 435 active nuclear reactors with many more in construction throughout the world (Amano). Nuclear energy has billed itself as an emission free response to climate changes which seems promising for the energy outlook. Some environmentalists have started come around to the idea nuclear energy as solution to the climate debate concluding that “there is no credible path to climate stabilization that does not include a substantial role for nuclear power” (Mooney). However, there are many risks and reservations involved with the use of nuclear energy production. Nuclear reactors have high constructor costs and maintenancing to mitigate nuclear accidents come at a premium. In addition, a reduction of emissions comes with the risk of other issues such as nuclear waste that could also prove harmful to the environment. Any debate for nuclear energy as a realistic solution to climate change must take in account the pros and cons adopting more nuclear friendly policies. There are many factors to think about when addressing the nuclear energy and climate change topic. On one hand, all proposed energy policies must be able to fully incorporate actions to limit emissions and harm to the environment. Keeping in mind the massive demand for energy, there should be no reduction in energy output. Proposed solutions should weigh the costs and benefits of nuclear energy as well as the feasibility both economically as well as politically. Questions to ponder: 1. Is nuclear energy a possible solution to climate change? 2. How does a country balance it’s nuclear energy and climate change policies? 3. Should we our attention to fighting climate change or focus on nuclear development? TechMUN at Stuart Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015 TechMUN 2015 International Atomic Energy Agency Works Cited: Introductory Statement to Board of Governors - Nuclear Energy. Perf. Yukiya Amano. International Atomic Energy Agency, 2013. Mooney, Chris. "Why Climate Change Is Forcing Some Environmentalists to Back Nuclear Power." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2014. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. Nuccitelli, Dana. "Global Warming: Why Is IPCC Report so Certain About the Influence of Humans?" The Guardian, 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. Taylor, Peter. " Worldwide Trends in Energy Use and Efficiency: Key Insights from IEA Indicator Analysis ” (n.d.): n. pag. Iea.org. International Energy Agency. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. TechMUN at Stuart Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015
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