Nuclear Energy Synthesis Essay

Citizens of countries where fossil fuels are being utilized are concerned at the possible chance of global warming. So many greenhouse gases emitted, ice burgs and caps are shifting or melting, that population is beginning to worry about what is going to happen to the environment in the future if this source is kept being used. With nuclear energy we don’t have to worry about the environmental changes. Nuclear energy has

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

One significant advantage of nuclear energy through the mining of Uranium is its carbon neutral energy production property (3). However, during a meltdown or another catastrophe, Nuclear reactors have the capacity to release significant amounts of toxic radioactive isotopes, such as Strontium 90, Cadmium 113 and Caesium 137, which has the potential to cause significant harm to health (2) and biodiversity (11). Coal on the other hand is a well-documented releaser of greenhouse gasses, with one tonne of coal generating 2.6 tonnes of CO2 alone. Globally, this accounts for 6.4 billion tonnes of CO2 per year, with this value progressively increasing (5). Further, the use of coal in electricity production results in the release of particulates into surrounding areas. Particularly in third world and developing nations where regulation on pollution is lax, this causes major tangible health risks to those who live near the plants- a report by the World Health Organisation estimates that deaths directly related to outdoor pollution from Coal-based electricity generation amounts to approximately 2 million deaths per year

Everything we do, everything we use is a form of energy. The resources necessary to provide us even the simplest of comforts are becoming more in demand due to population growth. As of today, coal, oil and natural gas supply almost 90% of the world’s energy needs. We are a world of oil consumption, indeed, everything we use has some form of oil product built into it. It is versatile and has been the only thing we have known for most of our lives. Realizing that the energy policies are a major economic problem is key and being able to provide policies that can have financial benefits for all parties will result in balanced energy budget. Using alternative resources will be a major adjustment by Americans and we need to focus on alternative

Nuclear power has been highly controversial in the world, specifically uranium mining. Uranium mining is an option that was presented to the world for a source of nuclear weapons, nuclear medicine, as well as nuclear power. Uranium is a natural element, it has an average concentration of 2.8 per million in the Earth’s crust. Uranium is very abundant and is more plentiful than gold, silver, and mercury. The half-life of uranium-238 is 4.46 billion years, the half-life of uranium-234 is 245,000 years, and uranium-235 has a half-life of 704 million years (Uranium: Its Uses and Hazards, n.d.). There are four common kinds of extracting uranium from the ground; open pit and underground mining, in situ leach mining (ISL), heap leaching, and milling. While there are several forms of mining that have proven to be affective at extracting uranium from the ground, none of the mining types have been guaranteed to stop nuclear radiation in the area that the mining took place. Nuclear power has gotten a bad name ever since the atomic bomb, so many people have become skeptical on how safe the rising expansion of uranium mining is. The environmental implications that uranium mining has caused in the past has brought up the question on if the expansion of nuclear technology is worth the risk.

Storing nuclear waste is a political problem as no one wants it stored near them, so there is a dispute about where radioactive waste should be stored. But after all the advantages of using nuclear energy outweigh its disadvantages as nuclear plants emit less than one-hundredth of carbon dioxide gas compared to coal or gas-fired energy plants so there is a very little effect on the environment. Humans living next to coal-fired power plants are exposed to higher radiation doses than those living near nuclear plants, where the former is harmful to human health and may be responsible for acid rain. On the other hand dependence on nuclear energy is now increasing in most countries as nuclear reactors use uranium as a fuel which is found everywhere on earth. It is inexpensive and easier to transport than other fuels which makes them less dependent on oil and foreign fuel from other countries.

The way that nuclear energy is able to produce power is that since atoms make up everything and the denser the nucleus of an atom is the stronger the atom is. The energy that is inside of the nucleus is Nuclear Energy. So when we use a process to split the atoms, the energy within those atoms is released. This produces more energy than our more commonly used fossil fuels because it's nucleus is denser so when it is split the energy is much greater.

Using uranium in nuclear power are one of the most power and most efficient and many countries seek to invest into power plants. In the article, “Sub-Seabed Burial of Nuclear Waste: IF The Disposal Method Could Succeed Technically, Could It Also Succeed Legally?” by Amal Bala states, “As of 2011, nuclear power has provided about 5% of the worlds “total primarily energy supply” and 11.7% of “world electricity generation” in terms of fuel shares, with the United States, France and Russia combing to create about 56% of the world’s nuclear-generated electricity” (Amal). Furthermore, using power plants emits lower greenhouse gases because it doesn’t emit any carbon dioxide and methane. The only greenhouse gases that power plants emit is when extracting fuel or extracting energy from uranium base from Nuclear Energy. In addition, nuclear power plants are reliable, instance if an area is having a bad weather like a cloudy day, then some solar power machine would not work. However, nuclear power plants can function almost daily and the only time it stops working is when something needs to be repaired. As a result, thanks to Nuclear Energy, the positive side on using uranium is to power nuclear power plants are, it emits low amount of greenhouse gases, it powerful and efficient, and it very

Should the U.S. expand their use of nuclear energy? The U.S. should not expand nuclear energy use. In my opinion there have been so many natural disasters and cases of cancer caused by nuclear power that just shutting the process down and converting to other power sources would be our best bet. In this response I will show you how harmful nuclear energy can be to people living in and around the area.

Society is always looking for alternative ways to meet our energy needs. Fifty percent of New Jersey’s energy comes from three Nuclear Power Plants. The other fifty percent comes from fossil fuels, which are contributing factors to climate change. Nuclear energy is the best choice as an alternative source of energy. Both nuclear and renewable energy share one thing in common and that is they both polluted the Earth. Yes, having only renewable energy would benefit us due to the fact that it has a continual source of energy but developmental costs would increase drastically. Having only nuclear energy as a source of energy, it would produce gas emissions during the build up of electricity as compared to traditional sources like coal power plants. Nuclear energy allows us to have a low pollution rate, low budgeting cost, and a more efficient source of energy.

Nuclear energy as a continual source of energy is risky. Author William Tucker explores the use of uranium for energy in his essay. Tucker explains that although disasters, like the Fukushima meltdown, are scary, every other viable source of energy is also inherently deadly. He tells about a natural gas explosion in Cleveland that leveled an entire neighborhood along with 130 casualties (Tucker 228). Next Tucker explores the benefits our environment can gain from nuclear energy. Nuclear fuel rods are used for 5 years, and can continuously power a city the size of San Francisco for the entire time, without creating any greenhouse gases of any sort (228). And for the negative effects of mining? In just two states there are 732 coal mines. In

¬Nuclear energy is energy in the nucleus (core) of an atom. Atoms are tiny particles that make up every object in the universe. There is enormous energy in the bonds that hold atoms together. Nuclear energy can be used to make electricity. But first the energy must be released. It can be released from atoms in two ways: nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. In nuclear fusion, energy is released when atoms are combined or fused together to form a larger atom. This is how the sun produces energy. In nuclear fission, atoms are split apart to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. Nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to produce electricity.

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 use of nuclear energy is a big topic for debate. Many countries have fully embraced it while others, such as the U. S., haven’t. Nuclear energy is feared for its danger and scorned because of its wastes. On the other hand, nuclear energy does have some pros like cheaper cost of energy and environmentally safe. Reactor breeders show great promise in nuclear waste, but are it enough to convince the nation?