Nuclear Energy And Nuclear Power

Atomic energy production is a dangerous technology that must be replaced by eco-friendly energy production methods. Atomic energy production relies upon radioactive materials used as fuel to generate electricity; these fuels are highly toxic and volatile substances that are lethal to all forms of life. In the event of a technical malfunction, or natural disaster, these dangerous substances can escape into the environment where they will remain disruptive for centuries. The nuclear power plant at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan is one such example of this, but alarmingly, many nuclear power plants are built along geological fault lines, in tsunami regions, and other dangerous weather zones all across the globe. The potential for widespread devastation to the environment is real. For this reason alone nuclear energy should be phased out entirely and replaced by a safe alternative.

Today, as much as we know about nuclear power is one of the most powerful and fresh energy, compared to any carbon dioxide producing fuels like coal or oil. It is a very cost effective “cheap” source, but with a major downside. Obtaining it is a rather complex chemical procedure, and the outcome is not only precious power, but also hazardous waste. This

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.

It has broadened my general understanding of the nuclear industry throughout the rest of the world. As observed in other forms of power generation, an important aspect of nuclear energy is society's percep- tion of the nuclear industry's long-term eects and impact on the environment and surrounding communities. For nuclear energy, these issues manifest themselves mainly in the long{term storage of low- and high-level waste, such as contaminated gloves or spent uranium fuel rods, and release of harmful airborne radioactive materials into the environment. Solving these issues involve expertise in both o and on{site radiation mon- itoring, as well as expertise in engineered safety measures such as nuclear euent monitoring.

The use of nuclear power and nuclear weapons is forcing humankind, and indeed the whole ecosystem, to participate in a particularly cruel and totally uncontrolled experiment. The United States can not afford continuing to raid the environment with long-lived radioactive materials that are scattered to the wind and embedded in our soil, exposing large populations, and foisting health impacts - such as: “high instances of infant mortality and more than six thousand cases of thyroid cancer in children and adolescents according to a 2008 UN report” - (6) on unsuspecting future generations who have no choice in this matter. With this in mind, nuclear energy also puts out more carbon dioxide, puts out more air pollutants, enhances mortality more and takes longer to put up than real renewable energy systems, namely wind, solar, geothermal power, hydro-tidal wave power and, the radiation exposure will force animals and insects out of their homes, or possibly kill them as to what happened in Chernobyl. Moreover, nuclear power enhances nuclear weapons proliferation. (Ted Talk) Due to the fact, that the people haven’t yet came up a solution to where to store spent energy. Moreover, short- and long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel has been a challenge for the industry and policymakers. Spent fuel, if not disposed of properly, could contaminate water supplies or be used by terrorists to create a dirty bomb. This

Nuclear power is harnessed from the energy retained inside of an atom’s nucleus. This energy bindes the atom together and, when released, can be used to produce electricity. In order for this energy to be released, however, it must be subjected to either nuclear fusion, the combination of several atoms to form one larger atom, or to nuclear fission, the division of larger atoms into several smaller atoms. Nuclear power plants, first introduced in 1954, use this second method in the production of electricity. Inside of a nuclear power plant, uranium atoms are split and their nuclear energy released, creating the heat necessary to produce the steam that powers turbine generators and create electricity. Nuclear energy is often referred to as a “clean” energy source because, unlike fossil fuels, its production does not result in the generation of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Many endorse the use of nuclear energy because it is efficient, providing large amounts of energy in exchange for small amounts of fuel, reliable, as it can be produced almost all day and night, year round, and affordable, costing about 2.4 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2012 compared to fossil fuels, which cost about 3.27 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2012. However, the use of nuclear power also has several significant disadvantages. Its main downside lies in the threats nuclear power plants present in the forms of radioactive waste and nuclear meltdowns.

Throughout the time of nuclear power, scientist have been debating whether or not it was worth the risk for nuclear power. Most people agree that “[it has] the capacity to turn the earth into a desert or make the desert bloom” (4). Nuclear power is ideal in terms that it is efficient and cost effective, but it also has some downfalls. The process creates a lot of nuclear waste that is highly radioactive without a good place of disposing it, not to mention the inherently dangerous risks involved with nuclear power plants, such as explosions.

Nuclear fission is a reaction in which heavy nuclei, such as Uranium and Plutonium, are broken into smaller nuclei releasing heat, which is transformed into another form of energy such as, mechanical or electrical. For a long time people have been using nuclear fission as an efficient and sustainable source of energy. However, the use of this form of energy is associated with a unique set of consequences including environmental, social and ethical. In this paper I will discuss nuclear energy and its impact on the environment.

According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, fission is the process that releases large amounts of atomic energy, in the form of heat, by the splitting of nuclear atoms. Uranium is the main radiation used in nuclear power plants for the fission process. Fission is what gives us enough nuclear energy to boil water. The steam created is used to power larger turbines that activate generators that produce electrical power (NRC Glossary).

A massive amounts of heat produced during the fission process is used to produce electricity while releasing no harmful byproduct. Therefore, it is one of the cleanest and most ecofriendly ways to obtain energy and it should solve all our energy problems. However, there are a quite few disadvantages related to nuclear power generation that overcome its benefits. Building the nuclear power plant is very expensive due to longer construction times for radiation, insulation, security, and safety purposes. The waste from nuclear power plants is highly radioactive and potentially dangerous, if not handled carefully. The nuclear power waste can stay radioactive for thousands of years and must be stored deep in earth and away from the population, which is another very expensive and risky process. Because of the Three Mile Island accident, Chernobyl disaster and Fukushima nuclear accident, people have the biggest fear of nuclear radiation that has longer and real impact on life. All energy sources have some risk. The risks associated with nuclear energy are likely to be much less than those associated with fossil fuels. However, nuclear energy has a potential for devastating accidents, which surpasses everything that could occur with fossil fuels. It is also capable of destroying civilization the same way as nuclear weapons. Moreover, the long-term radiation danger of nuclear waste is a huge burden on humankind. Even though nuclear energy is a viable way to generate clean energy, it has grown more slowly than projected because of safety, security, and economic problems. The overall risks of nuclear accidents are much too high to overcome its benefits. Instead, we should improve and develop more on renewable energy sources to meet our energy

The invention of the nuclear power plant was humanities greatest hopes but biggest fears. The energy is clean and frees us from using fossil fuels but it also screams disaster. There was an earth quake in Japan that caused a nuclear power plant to leak out radioactive steam. However there were 443 operating nuclear power plants in 47 countries in 2011 and in 2009 atomic energy accounted for 14 percent of the world’s energy production. In the United States alone 104 nuclear power plants supply some 20 percent of electricity.

The nuclear energy debate has persisted for decades. Those who strongly oppose it argue that its benefits, such as carbon-free emissions and low fuel costs, are almost irrelevant when the risk posed by radioactive waste and reactor meltdowns are factored in. The problem revolves around how little waste storage is prioritized in the planning stages of a reactor, including the locations of waste storage, leading to a surplus of radioactive waste at reactor sites. With the progress being made to advance waste disposal methods and increase public participation in countries that need storage for accumulating waste and developing countries considering nuclear energy, nuclear energy could be the new "green" energy alternative.

Nuclear energy was first introduced into the world when Admiral Rickover decided that there should be a new way to power submarines. They were successful in launching a nuclear-powered submarine in 1954. This new idea of using nuclear power was starting to arise in the 60s and 70s when they made their first nuclear reactor. Even France decided that it was time to propel their society into nuclear powered energy which is now powering 75% of their electricity (Touran, 2013). Nuclear energy has acquired a large amount of attraction, the beginning of a new future awaits the people of the United States; One filled with eco-friendly energy and the construction of a world filled with nuclear energy. People across the United States are starting

On September 26th, Doctor Robert McTaggart came in and spoke to us about nuclear energy. Nuclear energy uses the heat produced from nuclear transformations and reactions to power turbines which create energy. A majority of the time, nuclear plants run off the fission of one of three elements: Uranium 235, Uranium 233, or Plutonium 239. Something else that Dr. McTaggart said that really stuck with me was that fissile isotopes like U-235 give off more energy than is put into the system. Currently in the US, nuclear power makes up 8.3% of our country’s total energy and all of the energy produced goes towards the electric power sector, where it makes up 22% of the total amount of electric power.

Even though we use Nuclear energy to give places electricity, Nuclear energy is used in many more things than just in the production of electricity. Such as; Hospitals, schools, households or business’, Nuclear Radiation can be used to treat heavy medical