Imagine such a substantial piece of technology holding the power over billions of people. Nuclear energy tends to react like that but essentially is a life-changing force when used the right way. It could wipe out an entire generation all with the push of a button, and to remain safe, world leaders from Asia to Europe held a global meeting to create an outstanding organisation. The IAEA was created during 1957 on December 3rd, and its offices are located far down in Vienna, Austria. And its role is to eliminate the option of ever creating nuclear weapons again. The IAEA withholds three major goals: checking for bombs, promoting safety for all and showing the world what good things nuclear activity in general can do.
The first goal, the checking for bombs, includes trained nuclear inspectors moving from one continent to the next; this is to make sure no country is illegally creating nuclear weapons. However, these are not just any inspectors; they are chosen specially for two specific jobs. However, before even occurring on the IAEA’s radar, they must have a training background of five years and up. Then afterwards, they learn every aspect known to man about the job in a year and a half. The job is split into two parts: 1 – counting and 2 – tracking two nuclear materials, uranium and plutonium. Uranium is a radioactive metal which is used for its outstanding source of energy. Plutonium is a man-made reactor fuel used at the tip of nuclear machinery. Both key ingredients are listed in order from most to least reactive. And they are the rarest ingredients for creating nuclear weapons, which remains the reason why the inspectors mainly focus on the two.
The next objective is quite vital for the organisation; it’s to promote safety throughout communities. The IAEA has been working on this for over six decades just to adapt to every situation, members of our community. Starting from 1958, just a year after the IAEA had been established, the organisation put together and published its first book on safety. All for the world to grasp their hands on, it was called Safety Series No. 1: Safe Handling of Radioisotopes.The community adored it, and most believed it was the first book and the last; however, there was no last for a very long time. The 1960s through the 1990s were the community’s biggest confusion; scientists from all over the world rewrote their own copies of the book and threw them out there for the world to see.The community started to feel tension between each other, doubting which book they stood behind. It was complete chaos up until 2006.It was a turnover, a new, fresh chapter for all. The community transformed all the books into one big stack; they introduced a unified structure. The book was called The Fundamental Safety Principles.
The last objective was to show the world how helpful nuclear activity can be if used well.There were several inventions used to show the world nuclear activity is not always bad; however, the most striking of them all are the cancer patients and the prevention of drought. Subtly, the term for cancer is ‘radiotherapy’.It uses high-energy rays to destroy or stop the production of cancer cells; radiotherapy works as a solvent for about 60% of all cancer types.Examples include prostate cancer, uterine/cervical cancer, and even head/neck cancer. The other 40% is often broken up into two solutions, like surgery and radiotherapy or liquidation methods and radiotherapy. However, it is extremely effective and has shone a light towards patients full of hopelessness. For drought, it’s slightly more complex but still very efficient.They use a plant mutation method to help farmers grow their crops more resistant to drought. Plant mutation is basically a pattern of changes that happen to plants suddenly when there is a shock in their DNA system, and this shock is caused by nuclear activity.The results of the crops being more resistant make one – more money and two- bring more food to the table.I personally agree with this because I know that as the generations build up, people have more restricted meals and diets, sometimes with ingredients holding less availability. So more food on the table would always be a better option which links to my generation, Gen Alpha.
Just like all organisations, the IAEA holds a very sophisticated structure which is broken up. The highest-ranked job is the director general, whose name is Rafael Mariano Grossi.He has been director general of the IAEA since December 3rd, 2019.His job mainly works around having to travel to nuclear power plants, which in many cases is very dangerous; he does this to collectively make sure nothing is going wrong or out of sorts. These power plants are often dangerous because they are caught between war zones, which makes it extremely difficult to get in and get out. Although when he is working in Vienna, he spends his time mainly researching each country/city so that he knows everyone is safe.If something isn’t right, he will send the instructors down there to send messages like warnings and take back their supplies.
The next high-ranked job is the board of governors; it has 35 members, and they mostly work on the IAEA’s financial statements/programmes for the world to stay updated.They also approve things like safeguard agreements, and they look over the last high-ranked job, the secretariat.
The secretariat manages the whole organisation under a microscope by managing daily operations, hiring experts, executing major plans, preparing global statistics/data, and organising meetings for the board of governors. The IAEA has a whole underworld, and there is more than meets the eye.
The organisation wins major publicity and great achievements. Like the Nobel Peace Prize, they were gifted in late 2005. It was for successfully preventing nuclear energy from destroying the world. This gave the IAEA a voice, some recognition and trust to build on. They even launched events/mini groups like the Rays Of Hope and the NUTEC plastics. ‘Rays of Hope’ is an initiative to help cure cancer for countries with fewer benefits or money. They provide a good sense of healthcare and create hospitals for rest and stabilisation. The IAEA also creates a window of opportunity for locals to get a quality education in medicine. They provide civilians with knowledge at the cost of nothing. The organisation equally helps nations create national cancer plans to reduce the numbers of those who are diagnosed. The results show that over 100 countries have decided to participate in this, including 20 cancer facilities specialising in radiotherapy solo and in mixed solutions.
NUTEC plastics is another initiative the IAEA created to reduce the amount of plastic pollution in the air using nuclear technology and science. Essentially, they try to identify a type of atom in the air which can tell scientists, when properly studied, where the pollution is coming from and how it affects liquid-based areas like oceans and salt lakes. The results show that precisely 400 scientists have participated in the sampling of the atoms. And 99 marine countries have participated in tracking the atoms.
IAEA does so much behind the scenes just for our community, and it’s important that we applaud them and try to help as much as possible. They won all these tremendous awards because they always put themselves second and you first. These achievements and awards are highly respected, just like them, and their reputation reaches a higher standard by the hour.
To conclude, IAEA is a brilliant organisation filled with brilliant minds, and it is definitely the future. I personally believe that the IAEA is extremely helpful, effective, and kind for putting you before themselves. Every organisation has a chance to shine, and now it’s the IAEA’s turn. They are doing great things for everyone, and it is highly important to discover their inspirational work. IAEA is an organisation full of knowledge and the captivating feeling to help others constantly. It’s simply astounding to me, and I hope someday I can repay them. As our world continues to develop and technology becomes even more advanced, organisations like the IAEA will become increasingly important. New scientific discoveries bring both exciting opportunities and serious responsibilities, making it essential to have an organisation that can guide countries towards using nuclear science peacefully and safely. except that this organisation will be helping doctors save lives through cancer treatment and supporting the lower class with the opportunity to understand nuclear activity. The IAEA has shown that science can improve lives in countless ways. It also reminds the world that having allies between nations is a bond that cannot be broken, which is more helpful during hard times like war. I believe the IAEA will continue to inspire future generations of scientists, engineers and world leaders to use knowledge responsibly and ethically. Its dedication to peace, innovation and humanitarian work proves that even the most powerful technologies can become a force for good when they are pushed towards a connection built on kindness, trust, and even creativity. Thank you, IAEA.
By: Tanvi Kalani
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