Nuclear Power Has Been Highly Controversial

Uranium is a naturally occuring chemical element that can be mined from ore in many parts of the Southwestern United States where

An example is that nuclear power emits more energy than fossil fuels. In an article called “The Pro and Cons of Nuclear Power”, Jeremy Smith states that Uranium, which is used to make nuclear energy, can produce 20,000 times as much energy than fossil fuels (2011). This means that a small amount of Uranium would be used to make an abundant amount of energy. On the other hand, the process of acquiring the Uranium may be more dangerous that predicted. According to Jeremy Smith, uranium mining exposes workers to radium, a highly radioactive element, which then turns into radon gas. “Radon gas… can expose workers and nearby communities to an array of health risks like lung cancer, bone cancer and lymphoma” (Smith 2011). In conclusion, although uranium gives an immense amount of energy, it would not be worth it if thousands of workers become ill and possibly die.

Energy- Everyone needs it. The major challenge for the 21st century however, is generating this energy with the lowest impact on human and ecological health. A number of differing production methods have been derived in response to this, one of the most controversial of which is Nuclear energy supplied through Uranium mining. This is a uniquely topical issue in Australia, on account of the sheer amount of Uranium held in Australia’s borders (30% of the world’s reserves) and its potential impact on Australia’s economy (4), the politicised and partisan nature of nuclear debate, along with longstanding opposition associated with such striking international disasters as the Chernobyl and, more recently, Fukushima events (1). With such significant

one and only way to get materials out of earths surface, however it has a major affect on the environment, which then affect the people. The impacts can vary depends on what type of mine it is, for example if it a uranium mines, then it is guaranteed that the surrounded area, water, soil and vegetables will be turned it to radioactive materials. Uranium will decay by emitting alpha particles accompanied by weak gamma radiation, which travels at the speed of light (3*108). Since alpha particle travels at the speed of light, it can penetrate human’s organs and could kill people (Radiation protection, 2015). A Half life of uranium-238 is 4.47 billion years, which means even after the mine is shout down the place will be radio active for billions of years. This can result in children being born with disabilities. Scientists have found that uranium can bind to human DNA (research, 2006).

The world’s need for energy is growing exponentially, our current lifestyle relies almost entirely on non-renewable energy sources in order to provide electricity for our homes. Australia has an abundance of these non-renewable materials which provide Australia with a stable form of export as well as providing employment. Australia is abundant in natural resources like iron and coal, as well as other materials, the most notable being Uranium. Uranium, which is in plentiful supply in Australia (containing 31% of the entire world’s supply), has very controversial uses.

My family has been a part of the mining industry for most of my life I myself live near many of the uranium mining areas. Through these affiliations I have learned some of the processes by which uranium is mined. There are two different ways to mine uranium, the first way is to mine it is much like how coal is mined. Depending of the depth of the uranium it can either be mined by using surface mining (open pit) or sub surface mining (underground). The ore is removed by blasting and drilling than the ore is moved to the surface. After words it is ground up and mixed with chemicals to separate the uranium from the rock.

The environmental impacts of nuclear energy are disputed by Diesensorf (2005) and Was (2015). Diesendorf believes that pollutions of nuclear energy are serious while Was (2015) describe it as clean though there are environmental risks. Lenzen, 2008 (cited in Diesensorf, 2005) states that greenhouse gas emission of nuclear energy which based on high degree of uranium mining is 60g/kWh, which is much higher than wind power (10-29g/kWh). He further explains that the decrease of ore grades would increase the use of diesel, which would skyrocket the demand for mining process. Consequently, carbon emission of nuclear energy rises to 131r/kWh in low-grade uranium. Diesendorf (2015) describe this phenomenon is unacceptable. Was (2015), in contrast,

Uranium is a chemical element that is silvery-white with an atomic number of 92 having 92 protons and neutrons. In Colorado the Uravan Mineral Belt is the oldest uranium mining in America. It was also has 1,200 historic mines that produce over 63 million pounds of Uranium from 1948 to 1978. Uranium is a hazardous element the reason so is because if inhaling uranium decaying products causes lung cancer also uranium mill tailings contain that contain radioactive ,materials, notably radium-226, and heavy metals which leach out into groundwater and test from mill tailings from water shows that that water contamination are at hundreds of times the government’s acceptable level of drinking water. Uranium plants or mill tailing plants also

Nuclear energy is the energy released by a nuclear reaction, it uses fuel made from mined and processed uranium to generate heat and electricity. It is the world’s largest emission free energy source. Nuclear energy also has the lowest impact on the environment than other energy sources. But it can still be very harmful because of the radiation is causes and the radioactive waste it produces. Radioactive wastes are the ruins of nuclear materials that are used in providing nuclear energy. These wastes contain high levels of radiation that can be very hazardous to humans and the environment. Some people accept and support the idea of using nuclear energy and others don’t. In the following paragraphs, some major nuclear accidents and the public acceptance of nuclear energy will be discussed.

One of the greatest source of energy that planet Earth has to offer is uranium, and the United States should use it in nuclear power plants once we have it in our possession. Uranium is a resource that is located beneath the planet’s surface and once it is extracted by mining it could be converted into energy. Along the same lines, there are many positive and negative outcomes on using this element. Uranium should be used in the nuclear power plant since these facilities are environment-efficient and produce power. Some might agree if a nuclear meltdown would to happen, “what would we do or what will be the outcome if it does happen?” However, if it doesn’t happen, power plants should run smoothly and there will be power

The disastrous meltdowns that cause whole cities to become uninhabitable, as well as leaving families homeless and laborers without jobs, have defined the negative perspective of what people see in nuclear power. However, even after such catastrophes, the pure raw energy output makes nuclear power essential for the future of the human race. As time passes, the world’s energy usage has grown an increasingly massive size every year due to the consumption swell of energy. Despite nuclear plants being a heavily controversial topic internationally, its advantages are very well recognized and it’s causing nuclear plants to slowly become the basis of our growing society.

It is not until recently that people have become dependent on this element, and not necessarily for the good of it, and the world. There is an obsession with uranium because of its unique properties. Uranium is extremely powerful because of its radioactive properties and unstable nuclei, especially that of Uranium-235. It is able to break down and release high frequency radiation through alpha and beta decay. It is because of these characteristics that Uranium has such a craze on the population of the world (Cox, 1995; Scerri, 2007). The properties of uranium allow people to create powerful plants to produce electricity, and weapons strong enough to destroy the world.

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.

Just five pounds of plutonium, a component of nuclear waste, is enough to make a

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.