According to the World Nuclear Association, the radioactivity of nuclear waste will take 1,000 years before the amount of radiation reaches that already present in nature and is safe for the environment. There are three classes of nuclear waste, low- and intermediate-level waste resulting from cleaning reactor cooling systems, fuel storage ponds, etc. These lower class wastes are considered less of a problem, as disposing of each one takes less time. Neither comes close to radioactive life as a third type of waste. This third type of waste, called high-level waste, is caused by the "burning" of uranium. This provides our world with a large supply of electricity. Even if the problem occurs, highly radioactive residues from this process remain. This short document is in response to the APSC-Tackling Wicked Problems. The wicked problems discussed in the reading were defined as “…a problem that is highly resistant to a solution.” (p.3) Enclosed, buried piles of nuclear waste, which will continue to be harmfully radioactive for 1,000 years, certainly fit the definition of a wicked problem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Each year, 200,000 m^3 of low- and medium-level radioactive waste is produced worldwide. While the highly radioactive waste produced is around 10,000 m^3 / 12,000 tons. Our generation is currently leaving behind a problem that will persist for the next 1,000 years, plus additional time and space depending on how long our society continues to use nuclear energy. The reading states that “attempts to deal with wicked problems often lead to unintended consequences.” (p. 4) Nuclear energy is still a fairly new way of providing energy. No one predicted that nuclear meltdowns would actually occur during the construction of the plants. Although in recent years we have witnessed unexpected events such as earthquakes that can cause irreversible damage to an area with a nuclear power plant. Radioactive waste buried underground, which will not be safe for the next 1,000 years, is certainly a terrible problem. I have often heard people say “One day all that waste will have a use”. Unfortunately, we are negotiating that future generations will have solutions to our problems. Yet, just as with unexpected earthquakes, we cannot know whether there will ever be a safe use of nuclear waste..