Kira Hallerbach
Mr. Munson
5* Honors English
7 March 2016
Nuclear Power is the most Viable Replacement for Fossil Fuel
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 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 first advantage of nuclear energy is that it is one of the cleanest sources of energy available to us now. The process of fission doesn’t emit any greenhouse gases or emissions that are linked to global warming. Nuclear energy is currently the largest clean air energy source. It currently occupies 63.3 percent of the emission free electricity in the United States, and this must continue to get expanded upon. With increased use of nuclear energy comes a decreased use in fossil fuels, which would result in a lower carbon footprint for the U.S. This would help slow down the impact of global warming and climate change.
Firstly, the usage of nuclear power is consistent and plentiful. As we know, the reaction of nuclear can emit a great power of energy, it can support vast of families’ and enormous plants’ working. In addition, unlike solar energy and wind power, which depend on external factors, nuclear power is consistent generate at anytime and anywhere. Secondly, since the nuclear power is easy to produce and it also can generate a huge amount of power, it is much cheaper to use it. What’s more, like Hill’s saying, “with the cost of natural gas and oil soaring”, the nuclear plants have return back to work and produce massive energy. Lastly, nuclear power benefits to environment: not only because it does not produce the carbon emissions, which can alleviates the global warming; but also it reduces the noxious byproducts, like sulfur dioxide, which is main reason of air pollution. Therefore, using the nuclear power is an ideal energy resource for human
Nuclear energy is eco-friendly as it can reduce climate change. One significant benefit is that nuclear energy produces a low amount of carbon dioxide. Figure 3 shows the potential rate of carbon emission from different electricity generation such as, coal, oil, natural gas, renewable sources (wind, hydro, and solar power), and nuclear energy. The lowest potential rate of carbon dioxide emission (CO2) is Nuclear power.
Nuclear energy to create power has been used for hundreds of years. Today nuclear energy powers almost 11% of the world. It produces nearly no greenhouse gases or co2 emissions. But it does leave behind nuclear waste that stays radioactive for decades. Nuclear energy has been used for many years, but there are goods and bads to Nuclear power from nuclear energy.
With the growing need for a safe,and reliable source of energy people need to consider nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is one of the most efficient sources of energy in the world. Nuclear energy can be an extremely reliable source of energy. It can be cost efficient, safe,, and a reliable source of energy. Though nuclear energy may not a perfect source of energy it will be necessary for the future. No other energy alternative is better than nuclear energy. The benefits of nuclear energy far outway any possible risk associated with the usage of nuclear energy as an energy source.
Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear energy has the lowest impact on the environment since it does not release any gases like carbon dioxide, methane which are largely responsible for
Pollution is another topic with both pros and cons. Fossil fuels release harmful pollutants into the air such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Nuclear power does not release any of those toxins into the atmosphere. However, a pollution problem with nuclear energy is thermal pollution, where a plant’s “hot effluents” are put into a nearby body of water, and raise the temperature by a small amount but enough to cause a disturbance in the ecosystem of the lake or reservoir. Nevertheless, this could easily be solved by cooling the effluents before releasing them into the water. The other problem facing nuclear energy is waste disposal. Nuclear waste is radioactive and very dangerous. Therefore, it must be kept buried and sealed up for a long period of time until the radioactivity dies [Plasma-Material]. One positive fact about nuclear energy that is not disputed is its abundance.
Nuclear power is our most dominate way of energy. It is also a more environmentally friendly way of producing energy. Many people have this argument over whether nuclear power is bad or good. Whether it is harming society or helping it. Nuclear power is a more efficient, safer and better way of producing energy.
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.
Nuclear power is on the rise as it is a cleaner alternative to other energies; nations are trying to increase the production of energy from nuclear power in order to go ‘Green’ and to save the environment and the ozone layer from greenhouse gases. Other energy resources utilize fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum and create large amounts of greenhouse gases. However, nuclear Energy is extremely dangerous as plants can suffer from catastrophic meltdowns and even explosions.
Firstly, nuclear energy has a low pollution rate, 10 times less than fossil fuels, as evidenced in Table 1. Magnifying the pollution impact of fossil fuels is that they account for more than 80 per cent of world energy production as shown in Table 2. This is definitely a benefit, as countries seek ways to turn to an energy source that has a low pollution rate. Nuclear energy is the best option for a source that is reliable and has a low pollution impact.
Increasing the use of Nuclear Power in the U.S is a necessary step for this country. The use of Nuclear power would substantially lower environmental pollution by diminishing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from popular and harmful fossil fuel energy sources such as coal, crude oil and natural gas. Some argue that the use of Nuclear power is too dangerous, but evidence shows that it is a safe way and efficient way to extract energy without disrupting our earth. Another argument against the use of Nuclear Power is the handling of the nuclear waste. In reality, ninety-six percent of the nuclear waste can be recycled and the amount of nuclear waste is a minuscule amount compared to the impact of fossil fuels. Nuclear power is a safe, environmentally friendly and effective way to obtain energy.
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.
As a whole, reliance on fossil fuels contributes to climate change, which will lead to disastrous consequences in the future. One of the many changes that can be made is to use cleaner sources of energy, of which nuclear is one of them.
Nuclear energy is an alternative source of energy that holds great amounts of energy and is one of the future sources of energy for this world. “Nuclear energy is energy in the nucleus (core) of an atom. There is enormous energy in the bonds that hold the nucleus together. Energy is released when those bonds are broken” (Uranium). Unlike a chemical reaction with fossil fuels, nuclear reactions create an even greater amount of energy than fossil fuels. “Nuclear energy can be used to make electricity, but first it must be released it can be released from atoms in two ways: nuclear fusion and nuclear fission” (Uranium). Nuclear energy already provides 1/5 of all the energy in the U.S.,