A Description for a Solution to Armageddon

For years, many scientists, environmentalists, and energy experts have been studying how human’s creation and use of energy has impacted our environment. These experts have discovered some troubling facts. Most of our country’s energy is created from burning fossil fuels that pollute our atmosphere, contribute to global warming, and thus threaten the future of our planet. But there’s a safe and effective solution to this problem: nuclear power. Nuclear power should be used more in the United States to create clean power that doesn’t pollute our environment, in order to help combat climate change.

One significant advantage of nuclear energy through the mining of Uranium is its carbon neutral energy production property (3). However, during a meltdown or another catastrophe, Nuclear reactors have the capacity to release significant amounts of toxic radioactive isotopes, such as Strontium 90, Cadmium 113 and Caesium 137, which has the potential to cause significant harm to health (2) and biodiversity (11). Coal on the other hand is a well-documented releaser of greenhouse gasses, with one tonne of coal generating 2.6 tonnes of CO2 alone. Globally, this accounts for 6.4 billion tonnes of CO2 per year, with this value progressively increasing (5). Further, the use of coal in electricity production results in the release of particulates into surrounding areas. Particularly in third world and developing nations where regulation on pollution is lax, this causes major tangible health risks to those who live near the plants- a report by the World Health Organisation estimates that deaths directly related to outdoor pollution from Coal-based electricity generation amounts to approximately 2 million deaths per year

Throughout history, the source of energy that powers the world has advanced alongside technology. The power on which civilization thrives has to be in accordance to the demand at which it is required. As technology evolves, objects from which energy can be extracted can expanded exponentially. In the status quo, the United States is trying to limit the greenhouse gas emissions instead of just switching power sources which is the wrong direction they should be going in. [Thesis] Instead of wasting their time and money investing in burning coal as their main source of power, countries and their governments need to assist in the transition to a more cost effective and efficient form of energy in the form of nuclear energy.

According to the World Energy Outlook report in 2006, nuclear energy is listed as the least efficient measure in reducing GHG emission, whereas improved energy efficiency had contributed 65% of the total reduction. Therefore I believe that while we are waitting to switch to a “real” sustainable energy source, we should focus on improving energy efficiency and conservation instead of risking the distinction of mankind by continue developing nuclear industries. Unlike, nuclear power, improving energy efficiency not only reduce the GHG emission on electricity generation, it can also be applied to a much broader context, such as transportation, agriculture, and manufacturing which in total contribute to over 50% of world's total GHG emissions (browse energy and climate data). Nevertheless, continue to expand renewable energy is also a good option for replacing our dependence on nuclear energy. Numerous scientific studies have already shown how wind and solar energy are already cheaper to operate than nuclear energy, while being able to generate more energy than nuclear given equal resources ( ). In Europe, even though Germany has less wind resource than Britain, it was reported that currently the electricity generated by wind in Germany has already surpassed the nuclear generated energy in Britain (Barnaby and Kemp, “Future,” p.

Background Information. In the past 10 years the usage of nuclear energy has become one of the most polarizing issues of the world. Especially in the Middle East when a country reveals information about its nuclear program, the west considers this country as a threat and tries all possible ways to stop this program.

More than 30 years ago, nuclear energy was poisoned in the eyes of most Americans after the partial reactor meltdown at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania. Anti-nuclear sentiment swelled while construction of new reactors stalled. Fears of nuclear power were further confirmed after the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the Soviet Union, and later reaffirmed by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The development of new nuclear power screeched to a halt after Fukushima, which froze Japan’s nuclear industry and caused hundreds of thousands of Japanese to evacuate the area surrounding the plant.

Nuclear energy is the process of creating useful heat and electricity. The nuclear power debate is a controversy about the deployment and use of nuclear fission reactors to generate electricity from nuclear fuel for civilian purposes. The debate over the expansion of the nuclear energy program has been prominent over the last 4 decades. The debate really escalated during the 1970s and 1980s, when it "reached an intensity unprecedented in the history of technology controversies", in some countries. It is important for the expansion of human life and improving life as we know it. I firmly believe that we need to keep using and expand the use of nuclear energy due to the fact that it eliminates fossil fuel pollutants, it is sustainable and cost effective, and it improves overall human quality of life.

The necessity for a new type of energy increases with every year. Energy consumption rates are increasing continuously, and with them, pollution and wastes directly harming the Earth and her atmosphere. While other energy competitors constantly fell short of impacting fossil fuels enough to significantly lower their usage rates, nuclear energy can not only compete against the highly efficient yet harmful fossil fuels but can reign as king as a more efficient and cleaner source of energy.

The effects of climate change have already begun to take place, as the United States and other countries face hurricanes, heat waves, and snowstorms. As all scientists know, these changes are the results of carbon dioxide building up in the atmosphere. The main sources of this pollution are coal and oil plants. Nuclear power is a less pollutive alternative to coal plants, but its negatives outweigh its positives. Nuclear power produces a large amount of harmful byproducts that scientists cannot discard, and nuclear plants face the dangerously likely risk of a plant collapse. There are many, better alternatives to nuclear, oil, and coal power such as solar and wind power that have little

Initially nuclear fission was designed for producing atomic bombs but later it was shifted to produce energy around the world (Nuclear Fission: Discovery and Technological Development). As of April 2015 the United States is the largest producer of nuclear energy in the world, about 30% of the worldwide nuclear generated energy, compared to Africa which represents the smallest user of nuclear energy, 0.5% (Figure 1). In the US, the nuclear energy represents over 19% of the total energy consumed. (Nuclear Power in USA,

Fossil fuels are criticized for contributing to the “global warming” theory, and the “greenhouse effect” blamed on unregulated industry, and transference pollution in our atmosphere. While energy preservation and education are important, it doesn’t solve the long-term problem: energy is needed and is increasing in demand as technology and our way of life advances. It is not possible to install a solar panel on every house, or a windmill on every hill. Fueling the future is a growing challenge for the world. At the current rate of consumption, fossil fuels will soon run out. Nuclear energy is clearly one of the best answers to our energy problems. Nuclear power system produce a tremendous amount of energy for their mass and are very safe when

As the demands for energy increases, the United States needs to determine how it is going to meet the need. A range of options is needed for future generations and nuclear power is one suitable option. As with any option, it comes with its strengths and weaknesses. Presently, sixty-six percent of the United States energy comes from fossil fuel, while only nineteen percent comes from nuclear power; however, fickle oil prices are a sign that the era of abundant and cheap transportation fuel is ending. As the global necessity for electricity rises, the United States needs to turn to nuclear power as their solution.

The world as we know today is dependent on energy. The options we have currently enable us to produce energy economically but at a cost to the environment. As fossil fuel source will be diminishing over time, other alternatives will be needed. An alternative that is presently utilized is nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is currently the most efficacious energy source. Every time the word ‘nuclear’ is mentioned, the first thought that people have is the devastating effects of nuclear energy. Granting it does come with its drawbacks; this form of energy emits far less pollution than conventional power plants. Even though certain disadvantages of nuclear energy are devastating, the advantages contain even greater rewards.

The world's natural resources are being consumed at an alarming rate. As these resources diminish, people will be seeking alternative sources by which to generate electricity for heat and light. The only practical short-term solution for the energy/pollution crisis should be nuclear power because it is available, cleaner and safer.

Nuclear energy is an alternative source of energy that holds great amounts of energy and is one of the future sources of energy for this world. “Nuclear energy is energy in the nucleus (core) of an atom. There is enormous energy in the bonds that hold the nucleus together. Energy is released when those bonds are broken” (Uranium). Unlike a chemical reaction with fossil fuels, nuclear reactions create an even greater amount of energy than fossil fuels. “Nuclear energy can be used to make electricity, but first it must be released it can be released from atoms in two ways: nuclear fusion and nuclear fission” (Uranium). Nuclear energy already provides 1/5 of all the energy in the U.S.,