Nuclear Energy : Nuclear Power

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.

The primary reason that people intend to build a nuclear power plant is the cost of nuclear energy. The number of nuclear power stations increased dramatically during the first oil crisis. During that time, the nuclear energy is taken as a substitution of fossil fuels with reasonable cost. Governments were afraid that the high oil price in the future would affect economics, especially for those industrialized countries who have a lack of natural resources such as Japan and some countries in Europe. Since the nuclear stations can operate for a fairly long period, typically 40 to 60 years, the lifetime cost of nuclear-generated electricity is low and can be very competitive at a low price per unit energy produced. Also, majority of the cost of nuclear energy is incurred during construction and preparation before it starts operating. The cost of uranium affects little to the total cost of nuclear energy, so not like a thermal power station, which is sensitive to the price of coal, natural gas or oil, the electricity price from a nuclear power plant will be pretty stable. These advantages on cost will benefit both industry and people’s living. A report from Mckinsey about energy in Japan shows that after the Fukushima accident, because of the shutdown of nuclear power plants, household electricity prices have increased by more than 50% from 10 ₵/kWh to 16₵/kWh. [27] The rise of electricity price may be a result of power shortage. This means

Energy runs the world. Everything uses energy. Whether it is something as simple as a person getting out of bed, or as complex as providing power to sustain an entire town, energy provides the source to get these things done. This is the reason that politicians and governments invest so much time creating energy plans and platforms, and travel to different energy conferences around the world. It is also the reason that when a country starts making changes to its energy plan it is big news. Japan now finds itself in this situation. With nuclear energy no longer the sure source of power that it was in the past Japan finds itself rethinking its energy plans. This however, is not an easy task. With a complicated energy past and a nation and

New energy sources are invested in every year to produce heat and electricity for the citizens of the United States. However, nuclear power is becoming a much more urgent discussion topic. Nuclear power, or the use of nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity, contributes to nearly 20% of the electricity generated and used in America. According to the Department of Energy, the United States has invested 60 years of their time into nuclear power! But why have we done so? Well, the production of nuclear energy helps produce reliable, low-carbon energy, and supports national defense activities. Additionally, the Department of Energy also works to advance nuclear power as a resource capable of making magnificent contributions in

cAs the population is increasing quickly, the source is a significant issue that human kinds have to face on. One of the most important source is the energy resources. People need the energy to generate the electricity and operate the machinery. Without energy resources, the society would return back as primitive time. Some people claim that people should use the nuclear power as the main resource, others assert that people should choose other types of powers, like solar energy, natural gas and oil. However, people should rely on nuclear power, because it has positive affection on environment and help to solve some environmental problems.

On this assignment we are going to research all energy sources and their drawbacks, we are also going to explore on some the negative ramifications that even the clean hydropower have, additionally we are going to weigh those against the possible consequences of developing nuclear power, a controversial alternative to fossil fuels. We will discuss the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster as well as the 20th century Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in drawing conclusions about risk versus reward of nuclear energy use.

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

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.

Nuclear power provided 11 percent of the world 's electricity production in 2014. In 2016, 13 countries relied on nuclear energy to supply at least one-quarter of their total electricity.

One of the key issues with fossil fuels is the fact that they are non-renewable. Humans consume fossil fuels at a faster rate than it is produced. With humans consuming more and more fossil fuels as more countries develop and increase their energy needs, the need for renewables like nuclear energy becomes greater. One of the large

William Tucker, author of “Why I Still Support Nuclear Power, Even after Fukushima”, gives perquisite explanation of interesting points supporting his cause. Tucker believes that after all the harm from nuclear power in Fukushima, Japan, nuclear power is better than any other natural resources used for the same cause, such as, coal, natural gas, and even a hydroelectric dam. In William Tucker’s words, he claims, “The answer is that there are no better alternatives available. If we are going to maintain our standard of living—or anything approximating it—without overwhelming the earth with pollution, we are going to have a master nuclear technology.” William Tucker addresses the emotions and sense of worry of his audience. I believe William

Nuclear Energy has many supporters around the world. The benefit of Nuclear Energy are clear to many. People who are for Nuclear Energy, support it for many reasons. The outcome of produced power can be changed, all you do is change the fuel entering the chain reactor (Page 11). One main factor that puts nuclear energy on top is it lets out little air pollutants, greenhouse gases, smog, slows global warming, and helps limit acid rain (Sally

Nuclear power also doesn’t release any air pollutants into the atmosphere, making nuclear power a good solution to global warming. Nuclear power is also very reliable, unlike sources of energy such as solar and wind which require sun or wind to create electricity. Nuclear energy can be produced in plants any time of the year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Nuclear power is very powerful and efficient. This is a very good advantage to other sources as nuclear energy provides more power. This is a large reason why many countries invest heavily into nuclear

After considering both sides of advantages and disadvantages about nuclear energy, people are thinking and trying to make life better. The purpose of supporting nuclear is because it can produce energy without fossil fuel and it will not produce any bad effects of environmental chemical such as carbon dioxide. On the other side, people are against nuclear because it is not safe enough and if unpredictable incident happens to the industry they need to make appropriate decision quickly and as soon as possible. Both sides of people have own purpose to make world safer to live usefully.

Fossil fuels are criticized for contributing to the “global warming” theory, and the “greenhouse effect” blamed on unregulated industry, and transference pollution in our atmosphere. While energy preservation and education are important, it doesn’t solve the long-term problem: energy is needed and is increasing in demand as technology and our way of life advances. It is not possible to install a solar panel on every house, or a windmill on every hill. Fueling the future is a growing challenge for the world. At the current rate of consumption, fossil fuels will soon run out. Nuclear energy is clearly one of the best answers to our energy problems. Nuclear power system produce a tremendous amount of energy for their mass and are very safe when