Nuclear Power And Nuclear Energy

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]

For years, many scientists, environmentalists, and energy experts have been studying how human’s creation and use of energy has impacted our environment. These experts have discovered some troubling facts. 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.

Nuclear fission is a cost-effective, and relatively clean way to generate power. Since, the mid-1940’s, with the formation of the first atomic bombs, engineers have worked on improving nuclear power. In the 1970’s and 80’s nuclear power plants were built in cities to provide power for homes, workplaces, and other facets of life. Nuclear reactions were not well understood by the general public and therefore nuclear engineers inherited a certain status. Also as a result, nuclear power plants raised concerns for many Americans. The chances of a nuclear reactor failure were very slim, however, the consequences were devastating. Engineers feared that if the general public knew of the possible consequences that there would be massive amounts of unnecessary fear. As a result, operators of nuclear reactors were not informed of procedures to follow in the event of an emergency.

This report is formed to examine the effects that nuclear energy has brought upon the United States of America. As over the years, local state government as well as the public citizens of America are having sceptical doubts on the long term effects that nuclear energy would bring to the states.

Nuclear Energy has a long history of Grief. Since 1942, Nuclear Energy has grown and spread worldwide. The history of Nuclear Energy begins in 1942 when enrico Fermi created the first nuclear reactor, the Chicago-Pile 1. Enrico left Italy to escape new “Italian racial laws.” He created this reactor by fission. Which is also used as the fuel to the atomic bomb, which came 3 years after at the trinity test

You need 400000 cubic yards of concrete in making a nuclear power plant, and 66000 tons of steel. There's 300 miles of electric wiring, and 130000 electrical components There's 3500 workers at the peak construction of a nuclear power plant, and two to four billion dollars to build a nuclear power plant. There’s 400 to 700 jobs in a nuclear power plant, and 470 million dollars of energy made in a year at a nuclear power plant.

Most of the disadvantages all stem from one major issue: the fuel created at these power plants are radioactive. What little waste that is produced at the plants remains radioactive for thousands of years and has a high cost in the storage of the waste. The radiation created can be detected miles away causing not only health concerns for employees at the facility, but also for those who live nearby. One of the leading disadvantages is the complexity in the management of nuclear waste. Poor managing at the nuclear plant can cause a hazardous nuclear explosion by generating a system failure, which releases radioactivity into the environment. The risk of disasters is a major concern. Nuclear power plants also have limited lifespans; therefore, the United States would have to continuously build new plants to replace the old. In doing so, this creates another weakness that is the high start-up cost of a nuclear plant. The cost of the production of energy is very low; then again, recovery of the capital cost is more expensive driving the cost of energy higher. Nuclear power ships and submarines also pose a threat to marine life due to being radioactive. However, the most frightening disadvantage is the use of nuclear power in the military industry. A terrorist could get their hands on this, as well as other countries. The list of weaknesses for nuclear power can be controlled reducing their

Nuclear power was the world’s fastest growing form of energy in the 1990’s. However, presently it is the second slowest growing worldwide. Considering that nuclear power accounts for eleven percent of the world’s energy supply, one must ask what happened [Nuclear Power]. Why is it that the growth of nuclear power has almost completely stalled? The simple answer is that after meltdowns such as Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, many people are afraid of nuclear power plants, which causes great opposition to the expansion of the industry. Unfortunately, most people are not well informed about nuclear energy; many do not take the time to view its positives and negatives.

Nuclear power is a very broad field that is compromised by many aspects of science including physics and chemistry. It was discovered in the early 1900s. It is a power source widely used by the United States due to the shear amount of energy that can be created from just two atoms. Nuclear fission, the most widely used form of nuclear power, creates incredible amounts energy incredibly efficiently and due to this it is actually really popular. Nuclear power is hailed to be eco-friendly but it is argued that the radioactive wastes and the constant potential for something to go wrong is too great a risk to the environment and people.

As each year passes, more and more electricity will be made as a result of increased nuclear power plants around the world. The economic benefits of nuclear energy are equally advantageous as the environmental aspects.

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.

Countries have different availabilities of types of energy and in order to reach its energy requirements a country needs to use an energy mix to meet its energy needs. An energy mix could be composed of fossil fuels such as coal oil and gas renewable resources such as hydro geothermal and solar or even nuclear energy. In Japans energy mix in 2013 only 1% was nuclear energy however a plan has been set so that by 2030 20% to 22% of japans nuclear mix would be nuclear energy (World-nuclear-news.org, 2015). In Korea’s energy mix from 2014 13% of Korea’s energy mix is nuclear energy and Korea also has a goal to increase its nuclear power usage by 2035 to go up to 29% (Eia.gov, 2015). This means that Korea and Japan both want to increase the

Japan, because it is an island nation, possesses few natural resources and even fewer sources of fuel and energy (Nuclear Power in Japan, April 2015). As a result, Japan depends on nuclear power to sustain electricity for the 127.3 million people living there (Japan Population, 2015). Nuclear power plants like the Fukushima Daiichi plant in the towns of Futaba and Ohkuma, Japan produced substantial electricity for surrounding areas (Nuclear / TEPCO Power Plants, n.d.) and was one of the largest and most productive nuclear power plants in the world. Yet, in March 2011, a tsunami deactivated and triggered the meltdown of this massive plant, causing devastation for everything in the vicinity. Inhabitants of Japan began to express concerns

Global demand and consumption of energy is at an all time high; the world needs a safe, efficient, clean, and high producing source of energy production. The solution is something we already use for energy production, Nuclear power. From the beginning of nuclear energy there has been concerns over the safety of the power plants and its impact on the environment. With climate change and more accurate information on nuclear power the tide is shifting in its favor. This paper will explore the positives of nuclear power, political change on nuclear power, safety of the energy source and new technologies associated with the nuclear power process. Most importantly are the risks associated with nuclear power worth it? Research suggests that nuclear power is safer now more than ever and has less of an impact on the environment than coal or oil. Public support and misconceptions over the years have been up and down due to political agendas and those who are misinformed about nuclear power. Individuals who are involved in the energy field are in favor of nuclear power and building more plants with newer technology.

Nuclear power has been around for decades and can be easily utilized to help meet America’s energy needs. With energy