Hydroelectric vs Nuclear Power Essay

There are many different opinions on whether we should continue to create nuclear energy or we should stop it. Some of the positive aspects are there has been no fatalities at nuclear power plants. Another one is nuclear power plants generate 20% of today power. Also nuclear energy is a clean power source with no pollution. Some negative aspects are creating these plants cost a lot of money. Another problem is we are running out of places to store waste. The waste puts off nuclear radiation

The loudest objection raised by the anti-nuclear groups is that there is "no safe level of radiation." It is also the phoniest. The major sources of radiation are natural and ubiquitous: we are continuously bombarded with radiation from cosmic rays in the upper atmosphere and from naturally occurring radioactive elements in the earth. Compared with these background sources, the radiation from nuclear power plants is negligible.

There are many power sources that can be utilized for our everyday lives; to heat our homes , run our toasters, and light our hallways. Most of that power either directly or indirectly comes form the sun(such as solar energy and fossil fuels). But one energy source that derived by the pure ingenuity of man is nuclear power. As with all power sources there are positive and negative externalities. For example: the burning of fossil fuel releases SOX and NOX into the air which can cause harm to the health of humans ie. negative externality. But what is the the environmental effect of using nuclear energy? What is the cost of extracting all this energy from so little?

Nuclear power is a much greener option than others, and can help prevent the devastating effects of fossil fuels on the environment. Burning fossil fuels releases thousands of tons of GHGs (greenhouse gasses) into the air that cause a variety of serious environmental problems. The emissions cause global warming which leads to the melting of polar ice caps and the raising of oceans. This also causes acid rain and air pollution which pollutes water sources, accelerates erosion and damages ecosystems (Pacific

While nuclear energy can generate plenty of electricity, it can easily be abused. Nuclear energy plants can unfortunately be preferred targets for terrorists, also producing nuclear waste. Nuclear waste is bad for the environment because it requires a dumping ground due to the fact that it cannot be processed. If this continues, there will eventually be no more

Healthcare costs in the United States are on a continual rise with no relief on the horizon. As the population ages and lifestyles differ from one individual to the next, healthcare third party payers such as commercial insurance plans, employee health benefit plans, the Medicare program and state Medicaid programs are searching for strategies to lower the costs associated with providing healthcare benefits to their beneficiaries. Disease management programs are emerging as a way to help decrease the high cost of health care typically associated with chronic illness by coordinating care between the patient and their

This is due to the accidents and mishaps within some countries that happen and affect the whole world due to the devastating and large amount of damage to the ecosystem that these catastrophes cause. Some examples of nuclear accidents are the recent one in Japan a few years ago, and older accidents such as, Chernobyl. These accident cause great exposure to high levels of radiation for people in surrounding areas and can sometimes be carried around the globe under certain atmospheric conditions. There are other dangers as well. So you can see why there is a debate as to the efficiency and practicality of ongoing use of nuclear power.

Pollution is another topic with both pros and cons. Fossil fuels release harmful pollutants into the air such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Nuclear power does not release any of those toxins into the atmosphere. However, a pollution problem with nuclear energy is thermal pollution, where a plant’s “hot effluents” are put into a nearby body of water, and raise the temperature by a small amount but enough to cause a disturbance in the ecosystem of the lake or reservoir. Nevertheless, this could easily be solved by cooling the effluents before releasing them into the water. The other problem facing nuclear energy is waste disposal. Nuclear waste is radioactive and very dangerous. Therefore, it must be kept buried and sealed up for a long period of time until the radioactivity dies [Plasma-Material]. One positive fact about nuclear energy that is not disputed is its abundance.

Its powers most of the building like homes, hospitals, schools, factories and etc. Hydroelectricity comes in a human cost. The huge damn that required for hydroelectric energy projects create a reservoir that floods an entire valley. Like homes, communities, and towns that may have to relocate as a dam construction begins. However, the projects to make a hydroelectric power generator has forced more than millions of people to relocate. Lifestyles were disputed. We don’t have to burn fuels to cause pollution… pollution free. Hydroelectric developments don’t generate toxic by-products. With an average lifetime of 50 to 100 years, hydroelectricity developments are a long term. It can easily be upgraded to incorporate more recent technologies and have very low operating and maintenance cost. Dams are designed to last decades and so can so contribute to the generation of electricity for many years and decades. Hydroelectricity is the cheapest way to provide energy. Once a dam is constructed, electricity can be produced at a constant rate. Large dams can be useful for flood control. It’s a clean energy source. It does not produce green house gases. When a hydroelectricity water storage dam is built, the water can be used as drinking water and also a recreational purpose such as fishing and boating. Dams saves and reserves water so that it is not wasted into oceans and seas. Controllable source of

“Worldwide, hydropower facilities possess a significant amount of installed electric generating capacity. IEA statistics indicate that at the end of 2001 there was in excess of 450,000 MW of installed capacity within IEA member countries, with about half in Europe and half in North America. In addition to conventional hydropower, there is more than 80,000 MW of installed pumped-hydro capacity in IEA countries. In contrast, utility-scale wind power is relatively new in the electric market, but increasing rapidly” (Integration of Wind and Hydropower Systems)

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Yes, nuclear power does not release greenhouse gasses into the environment, but it does release other harmful substances. First, the process of mining and transporting uranium can be very dirty and even dangerous. Second, the waste that nuclear power produces can be very dangerous. If we build more power plants, more radioactive waste will pile up, since it lasts between 200-500 thousand years. If too much of this waste piles up, where are we going to put it? We can't just put radioactive waste anywhere. Third, one of the biggest problems with nuclear power is nuclear accidents. Yes, they may not happen often, but if more power plants are being built, the more at risk we are for a nuclear accident. Nuclear accidents can be solved with quick actions, but if not dealt with right away, nuclear accidents can poison the surrounding land for miles and make it uninhabitable for thousands of years. Fourth, nuclear power plants are a potential target for terrorists. Terrorists could use ground attacks on equipment which could lead to a reactor core meltdown or external attacks such as an aircraft crash into a

Provided that countries can acquire uranium, they can create clean and safe energy. Generally nuclear power stations are safe. The various barriers and numerous safety measures make it very unlikely for catastrophes to transpire. The most up-to-date plants have a reactor core failure 1 in 1 million years. The proposal of building a plant has to be scrutinized intensely so that the barriers and structure ensure a redundant job in

Global demand and consumption of energy is at an all time high; the world needs a safe, efficient, clean, and high producing source of energy production. The solution is something we already use for energy production, Nuclear power. From the beginning of nuclear energy there has been concerns over the safety of the power plants and its impact on the environment. With climate change and more accurate information on nuclear power the tide is shifting in its favor. This paper will explore the positives of nuclear power, political change on nuclear power, safety of the energy source and new technologies associated with the nuclear power process. Most importantly are the risks associated with nuclear power worth it? Research suggests that nuclear power is safer now more than ever and has less of an impact on the environment than coal or oil. Public support and misconceptions over the years have been up and down due to political agendas and those who are misinformed about nuclear power. Individuals who are involved in the energy field are in favor of nuclear power and building more plants with newer technology.

Another primary component of nuclear power’s appeal is its high energy density; that is, the fuel used for nuclear power can generally produce more electricity than can be produced by an equivalent amount of fuel in a different power plant technology. For example, coal-fired plants, which meet the most of the global energy demand, are capable of generating 0.35 megawatt-days of electricity for every metric ton of coal burned. By