Nuclear Power And Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy, which has historically been depicted as a dangerous and evil energy source, has recently seen renewed attention as an alternative form of energy and has been rehabilitated in the eyes of the public after rising concerns regarding global warming and a rise in the demand of energy (World Nuclear Association 2011). However, due to the March 2011 Fukushima accident,

The use of fossil fuels as a primary source of power is poisoning our world, and nuclear power is just the way to stop this. Nuclear power is using the process of nuclear fission to create electricity. Nuclear fission is the splitting of a uranium atom to release massive amounts of energy. When this process takes place in a nuclear reactor, the energy is used to superheat water which is pumped through pipes also submerged in water which then boils. The pressurized water vapor is used to turn turbines that produce electricity. Nuclear power is one of the cleanest, safest, most reliable and economically beneficial sources of power, and it needs to be considered as a substitute for fossil fuels. Nuclear power unfortunately has been given a bad name, but is actually an important resource that should be utilized by the U.S. and the rest of the world.

Nuclear power is harnessed from the energy retained inside of an atom’s nucleus. This energy bindes the atom together and, when released, can be used to produce electricity. In order for this energy to be released, however, it must be subjected to either nuclear fusion, the combination of several atoms to form one larger atom, or to nuclear fission, the division of larger atoms into several smaller atoms. Nuclear power plants, first introduced in 1954, use this second method in the production of electricity. Inside of a nuclear power plant, uranium atoms are split and their nuclear energy released, creating the heat necessary to produce the steam that powers turbine generators and create electricity. Nuclear energy is often referred to as a “clean” energy source because, unlike fossil fuels, its production does not result in the generation of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Many endorse the use of nuclear energy because it is efficient, providing large amounts of energy in exchange for small amounts of fuel, reliable, as it can be produced almost all day and night, year round, and affordable, costing about 2.4 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2012 compared to fossil fuels, which cost about 3.27 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2012. However, the use of nuclear power also has several significant disadvantages. Its main downside lies in the threats nuclear power plants present in the forms of radioactive waste and nuclear meltdowns.

From the electricity that kept my home warm and powered the lights at school to providing employment to both my parents for the past 30 years, nuclear power has been at the center of my life growing up. In Wadsworth, Texas, the South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company has been a way a life thousands of people by providing nearly 1200 jobs and providing carbon-free electricity for over 2 million people. However, this is just one example in just one state in the United States. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, 11 percent of the world’s energy comes from nuclear power plants and for 13 countries it provides more than 25 percent of their country’s energy. However, even though nuclear power has made its mark as a global competitor in the realm of green energy, incidents such as 3 Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima have created a global sense of uneasiness. On top of this underlying fear, the huge building costs of new nuclear plants has lead to a stunt in the growth of nuclear energy even though operation costs for nuclear energy at $0.0219/kW is less than that of coal ($0.023/KW) and almost half that of gas ($0.0451/kW) (IER). Even though nuclear energy has had some setbacks, it is still safer (short-term and long-term) than the carbon-producing alternatives. The question at hand is whether we should take an utilitarian perspective by giving more serious consideration to the long-term effects of the carbon-emitting energy sources and whether we can overcome our

And although nuclear energy does have its drawbacks and problems, as do all other energy sources, nuclear energy is the safest and most efficient energy source to fuel the future.

Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission, splitting atoms in two, which releases energy in the process to generate heat and electricity. Heat created by fission drives the turbines that generate electricity. When nuclear power was first created it was predicted that it would be very successful. It was also predicted that nuclear power would be “too cheap to meter,” that is electricity would be very cheap so either consumers would not be charged for electricity at all or the prices would be very low (Cohn, 1997). Although nuclear power is still in use today the initial success of nuclear industry eventually declined. Nuclear industry and its supporters claim that nuclear power is environmentally friendly, inexpensive, and safe,

For many Americans, the electric bill is the most dreaded bill to arrive each month; it is always expensive, yet it doesn’t have to be. To lower electricity costs for citizens and businesses, the Unites States could increase its use of nuclear power. Nuclear energy is created when an unstable radioactive element decays and emits nanoparticles called radiation. With today’s current technology, the emission of these atoms as well as the energy released can be controlled and used in different ways. One such way is in the creation of electricity produced by nuclear power plants. Nuclear power is not renewable; however, it meets every reasonable criterion for sustainability, which is a primary concern for many people. Furthermore, the United States should use nuclear energy as its main source of power for three primary reasons: first, it is the most reliable source of power in the world today. Second, it is more cost effective than any other non-renewable resource and, finally, nuclear energy releases no greenhouse gasses, which contribute to global warming.

Nuclear energy has been used since 1895 to create weapons that could destroy men by the millions. Scientists later transformed this destructive weapon into a new form of usable, renewable energy. Nuclear energy is energy created by harnessing the energy produced by the nuclear reactions that take place inside the nucleus of the Uranium Isotope 235, ("Nuclear Energy"). Nuclear energy is one attempt to decrease the rate at which nonrenewable fossil fuels are being consumed. Some believe nuclear energy to be an environmentally friendly and self sustaining way to produce energy; however, there are a countless number of social and economically risks to consider; ultimately, the detrimental effects power plant leaks and explosions have on the human body, the cost it takes to produce the plants, and the production of nuclear waste, should be enough to persuade one to turn away from using nuclear energy as a source of power.

Nuclear power is not safe. An accident is likely to occur every 10-20 years. For example, a European study from Science Daily stated that, “Based on the operating hours of all civil nuclear reactors and the number of nuclear meltdowns that have occurred, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz have calculated that such events may occur once every 10 to 20 years.” This evidence demonstrates that, nuclear accidents happen more often than we think they do. The dangerous aspect of a nuclear accident is the amount of radiation that is spewed into the atmosphere and the surrounding environment. Radiation causes sickness, cancer, mutations,

A pellet of nuclear fuel wegights roughly 0.1 ounces, but yet has the same amount of energy as a ton of coal (Lüsted,2013). Such a small portion of nuclear fuel can produce a magnificent impact.. This strong energy alternative must be closely analyzed to predict the future of its ability. There are many functions taken into account that allows a nuclear power plant to operate properly.

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.

Another source of energy that is available is wind power. Wind power is able to turn a mill that generates electricity. Wind power is a source of energy that is very reliable, steady, and consistent from year to year. The growth of the wind power sources can lead to more jobs that will help America 's and the world 's economy grow (Williams,"What Are the Different").

In the United States, nuclear energy produces about 19.7 percent of the total energy produced. Nuclear energy is the backbone of energy production, but it comes with setbacks. It’s elderly technology, in general, and the after-product of nuclear fuel is radioactive waste. There are numerous other cheaper and other effective alternatives to little/no carbon emission power sources, like natural gas. Nuclear energy, along with toxic waste, decreasing supplies of uranium and risks along running a nuclear power plant, is not a safe and effective energy source.

While nuclear energy may be essentially harmless during normal use, its public image is tarnished singularly due to its history of disasters. One of the

People say that using nuclear energy for commercial use is a disadvantage because it is costly and dangerous. However, compared to the other sources of energy around the world, nuclear energy is not nearly as costly or dangerous as people make it seem. Nuclear energy is actually safe for