Essay on Nuclear Energy - Clean, Environmentally Friendly Energy

Nuclear power should not be dismissed and must be included as a major component of an alternative energy source to replace fossil fuels as it has the greatest potential to be the primary energy source in the future which can work together with other alternative renewable energy sources to combat global warming and to help meet the world’s growing energy demand

When someone thinks of problems plaguing the world, nuclear energy is not the first thing that comes to peoples minds these days.[1]Nuclear power was once deemed the new energy of the future.[2]However, numerous nuclear power plant accidents around the world put a damper on that notion.The United States considers itself one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, but 103 nuclear reactors currently operating within her borders, one was bound to fail sometime or another.[3]

The world is running out of fossil fuels and this decrease in supply is causing an increase in price for the consumer. There is a growing need to find alternative sources for energy. The World Energy Council predicts that the world will be using 50 percent more energy by the year 2020 (Morgan). Among the options for more energy are wind, solar, water, and nuclear powers. Nuclear power gives far more bang for the buck than the others. Although it can produce vast amounts of energy there is a lot of skepticism about the benefits of nuclear energy. Most of the critics say that nuclear power is far too dangerous for widespread use. At the present time nuclear energy seems to be the best alternative source over

These will be just some of the horrifying effects of global warming, if humans don’t make big changes in how we produce our energy. Now that’s a scary thought. 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.

The nuclear energy institute refers to nuclear energy as “the most 'eco-efficient' of all energy sources because it produces the most electricity in relation to its minimal environmental impact.” Nuclear energy created electricity without burning anything and is therefore emission-free. The areas around nuclear power plants and their cooling ponds are so clean, they are often developed as wetlands that provide nesting areas for waterfowl and other birds, new habitats for fish, and the preservation of other wildlife as well as trees, flowers, and grasses not to mention the amount of actual land a nuclear power plant uses in relation to the amount of

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

There are currently 104 operating U.S. nuclear power plants that produce over 20 percent of U.S. electricity.

The need for electricity continues to grow each year worldwide. Americans have long sought out an environmentally friendly, safe way of fulfilling their needs for energy. Presently, as concerns for the environment continue to become more prominent in the U.S., the demand for cleaner energy producing practices also becomes more pronounced. One of the cleanest production methods in use today is nuclear power generation (Kidd).

Nuclear energy is a green source of energy and power that is been used by many developed and powerful countries in the world. This energy is used to satisfy the need for electricity in many major cities around the world. They are usually built near seas, rivers and oceans, because they would need continuous supply of water to keep the reactor cool and produce steam to run the turbines. Energy is produced by using a radioactive material called Uranium or Plutonium that undergoes a process called as fission. This process involves the spilling of the Uranium atom into lighter elements, which produces a lot of energy in the form of heat that is used to turn water into steam. The steam is then passed through a turbine which is connected to a generator that yields to electricity. However, the byproducts of this process are for example Cesium-137 that has a half-life of approximately 30 years. These by products are being dumped into the environment that pollute marine life and are also a threat to human life as radioactive materials can mutate genes and cause cancer. In my opinion, Nuclear power plants should be closed, as they are a threat to both humanity and the marine life.

The main cause of climate change is known as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect describes how gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane accumulate in the atmosphere and block heat from escaping the Earth (“A blanket around the Earth”). Trees and other plants absorb these gases (Ramsayer), but as people clear away trees for houses or wood, they tip the balance towards the gases. Additionally, the United States, along with many other countries, is constantly expanding its industrialization. Since much of this industrialization utilizes power sources such as coal plants and oil, the industries that improve the lives of many also threaten the lives of future citizens of the world. While there are many clean alternatives to coal plants, nuclear power being one of them, a complete switch away from coal and oil power would also harm anyone invested in the coal and oil industries. Similarly, nuclear power can provide an ample supply of energy, while releasing no gases into the air, but it also operates on a perilous balance between the elements of nature and human error. To invest in profit rather than clean power, or to utilize nuclear energy, would be to put the future of the world and all future generations at

Pollution, being one of the largest environmental problem lessens when is the process of making land, water, air or other parts of the environment dirty and not safe to use. The use of nuclear energy would enable us to have a lot fewer greenhouse emissions. According to Source 2 it implies that, using nuclear energy determined that the amount of greenhouse gases have decreased by almost half because of the utilization of nuclear power.

When asked about the number of active nuclear power plants most people in the United States would probably guess a like ten or twenty when in actuality “there are currently sixty one commercially operating nuclear power plants with ninety nine nuclear reactors in thirty states in the United States. Thirty-five of these plants have two or more reactors.”(eia.gov) In America nuclear power has a stigma of just negative effects among these is ,“radioactive waste produced by nuclear reactors which needs to be disposed of at a safe place since they are extremely hazardous and can leak radiations if not stored properly. Such kind of waste emits radiations from tens to hundreds of years. The storage of radioactive waste has been major bottleneck for the expansion of nuclear

There is often speculation surrounding Nuclear energy. There were reports that the British applied to the United States for permission to carry out their first atomic bomb in the flats of Nevada. These reports were met with much speculation due to the physical size and observable flaws in the British program . This highlights an important problem with Nuclear energy production. Many countries pursue Nuclear energy for weaponry or other status symbols. When Nuclear Energy is harnessed, it can have a significant effect. Developments in Nuclear energy have had a great impact on global carbon emissions and have significantly decreased the footprint that energy production leaves on the environment. The progress that the American West and other industrialized countries have made in Nuclear energy and other renewable methods provide a reliable alternative to other energy sources that increase carbon emissions.

Thirty-one years ago today, on April 26th 1986, “a sudden surge of power during a reactor systems test destroyed Unit 4 of the nuclear power station at Chernobyl” {1}. Nuclear energy can be unstable, but there has been a growing comeback of enthusiasm in nuclear energy as a renewable energy source. Before I continue talking about nuclear energy, let me provide you some background on it. It all started in Germany in 1895 when he started to experiment with cathode rays

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.