preview

Nuclear Energy As The Main Option For The Future

Good Essays

Nuclear energy as the main option for the future
Why is nuclear power a beneficial source of energy? Introduction
As globalization is spreading around the world, demand for energy has increased in recent years. There are different types of energy sources to meet this demand, such as solar power, wind power and fossil fuels. However, they are contributing to environmental problems, particularly global warming and air pollution.
Nuclear power is the most promising and most controversial issue, as some argue that brings enormous benefits, while others believe that it brings drawbacks for the country. Most people associate nuclear power with nuclear weapons, nuclear radiation or the threat of nuclear accidents. However, benefits of nuclear …show more content…

The problem is coal, oil and gas consist of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H), when they react with oxygen (O) in the air carbon dioxide (CO_2) and water vapor (H_2 O)are formed(ibid). Produced carbon dioxide and water vapor increases the concentration of those gases in atmosphere and in thereby the worldwide temperature (ibid). It is estimated that 3 million tons of coal produces 11 million tons of carbon dioxide. According to Cohen (1990), since 1958 the concentration of carbon dioxide had risen to 315ppm (parts per million), and by 1986 it was 350ppm. It is also predicted that if current trends continue,by 2030 carbon dioxide concentration will have doubled from 350 to 700 (ibid). Tominimize this trend, countries need to reduce the usage of fossil fuels and develop energy with less harm to the environment.
The problem seems to be unsolvable; however, nuclear power meets all those criteria. Nuclear power stations discharge no waste into the atmosphere. Countries with nuclear power plants pollute the environment much less than their counterparts (Hodgson, 1990: 132).For example, from 1970 to 1990 France (80% nuclear) decreasedcarbon dioxide emission by half, for Japan (30% nuclear) this number was 20%, while USA (20% nuclear) reduced it by 6% (ibid). A research held by the US Council for Energy Awareness illustrated that since 1973 nuclear power had reduced the oil usage by 15.5 billion barrels throughout the

Get Access