Essay on Is Nuclear Power Benficial?

The first advantage of nuclear energy is that it is one of the cleanest sources of energy available to us now. The process of fission doesn’t emit any greenhouse gases or emissions that are linked to global warming. Nuclear energy is currently the largest clean air energy source. It currently occupies 63.3 percent of the emission free electricity in the United States, and this must continue to get expanded upon. With increased use of nuclear energy comes a decreased use in fossil fuels, which would result in a lower carbon footprint for the U.S. This would help slow down the impact of global warming and climate change.

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

Nuclear reactors only emit carbon dioxide and sometimes displace animals. The “cons” from nuclear reactors compared to others vary but it’s very clear that the nuclear power is the better choice.

“Fear vs. Radiation: The Mismatch by David Ropeik states that radiation is very destructive to humans and our bodies (Ropeik 1). In this article Ropeik contradicts the fact of whether it is as devastating as we make it seem. We fear what we do not know. That is why we get scared of radiation and nuclear weapons, because we cannot physically see it so we don’t understand what it really consists of. Fear is something brought upon ourselves and until we learn to control it, it will always be around. As a result, Ropeik discovers that radiation is deadly, but at a very low percentage (Ropeik 1). “For the entire population exposed, often to extremely high levels of radiation, that’s an excess cancer mortality rate of about two-thirds of 1

The impact on humans is more severe compared to the rest. The immune system has no way to prevent radiation. In fact, it causes a disease called Acute Radiation Syndrome, which basically means

Radiation over a long period of time can cause things like cancer. If there is a lot of radiation received in a very short period of time, (like some workers in Chernobyl and Fukishima were exposed to) the effects are much more severe and fast. This is called radiation poisoning, or radiation sickness. If an individual has had acute exposure to radiation, then they will show signs of radiation sickness. Usually, the symptoms include hair loss, burns (on skin) and Nausea. If the dose has been large enough, the person will most likely die within a few months. If the individual is exposed to enough, they can go unconscious and die within an hour.

When people think of radiation they immediately think of the worst case of radiation poisoning. Some people don’t even realize that there is radiation all around us. We use radiation waves for our microwave and cell phones. Doctors use radiation in X-rays and MRI’s. There are different levels of radiation. If we are exposed to too much radiation there will be effects.

Radiation can also change cells and sometimes destroy them. Exposure to too much radiation can cause health conditions such as cancer.

Firstly, harmful radioactive waste is a con. Radioactive waste is “concentrated lethally” (5). Radioactive waste is very dangerous and could kill people if not disposed of correctly. If exposed to the waste could cause: “radiation sickness, cancers, and other health problems” (5). Also, huge amounts of waste are disposed of at at time. Which means it would be highly concentrated and “High-level radioactive waste can

When one thinks of radiation exposure and how it can impact the body, the belief tends to lean on the example of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the United States dropped the nuclear bombs upon them. The fallout from this attack killed thousands initially, but also has continued to kill many due to cancer from the radiation. However, this is what is to be considered a large dose over a short amount of time and while seemingly detrimental; it is smaller doses over a long period of time that can prove to be more costly.

Overall, radioactivity has both positive and negative effects on people and the environment. Radioactivity is used in modern day medical equipment and radiotherapy. But alongside this, radioactivity can be really harmful to the environment and to people through UV rays (from the sun), which can then lead to killing enzymes in our bodies, or even lead cancer. Although radioactivity can be harmful towards people and the environment, I believe that radioactivity is more of a blessing then a curse as it’s really important concerning doctors and a lot of people rely on

Radiation risked human to cancer. That comes with the fact that one of the most common cancer is caused by radiation, it could be because of some common radiation in example UV (ultraviolet) light, X-ray, etc.

As each year passes, more and more electricity will be made as a result of increased nuclear power plants around the world. The economic benefits of nuclear energy are equally advantageous as the environmental aspects.

People can survive but later may face numerous complications. Besides, it leads to miscarriage by pregnant women, slow healing and also to damaged immune system. The long-term impacts are radiation-induced cancer that often affects very many people for a very long period (Bell & Miller, 2013).