Renewable Energy : A Nuclear Reactor

Firstly, the atomic incidents of Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and Chernobyl in Russia are often mentioned as examples for nuclear plants being unsafe. In both cases failures of workers led to a meltdown in the reactors and increased radiation in the surrounding area (Henderson 12-17). And as the recent disaster in Japan shows, a nuclear crisis cannot only be caused by human mishaps, but also by unpredictable and untamable natural hazards. Consequently, nuclear crises cannot be predicted or prevented completely. Nuclear plants are, furthermore, considered uneconomical because in the eighties the construction costs of nuclear plants were underestimated and exceeded the estimation by $100 billion (Henderson 103). Therefore, the nuclear power opponents are arguing that nuclear power is burdening the American economy unnecessarily. According to the nuclear physicist Jeff Eerkens, antinuclear groups are also claiming that nuclear power is not necessary for the future since renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power will be providing sufficient energy for the United States, and are at the same time much cheaper than the costly nuclear power plants (Eerkens 20). Over all, opponents consider nuclear power to risky and inefficient to “deserve further support from U.S. taxpayers” (Henderson 104).

Solar energy is the conversion of power from the sun to usable electricity (Alternative Energy, 2014). The most common source of solar energy utilizes photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity (Alternative Energy, 2014). Photovoltaics use a semi-conductor to absorb the radiation from the sun, creating and emitting electrons, which are then harnessed and used as electricity (Alternative Energy, 2014).

This webpage tells in great detail about the way solar power works. It talks about the protons being turned into energy. It talks about the size of the PV system. It describes how to maintain the solar panels to keep them going

Let’s tackle how solar panels work, and how much they produce first. Within solar panels, there are solar cells that convert the sun’s light to energy. This is accomplished by a photon hitting the cell and knocking an electron out of its orbit. Then electric fields will pull the electrons that are now free

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.

Various energy resources are capable of generating waste that can be decomposed after several years, such as carbon emissions. However, nuclear energy damages the earth to an extent that could remain for several million years. Energy resources such as carbon emissions are decomposable after several years, yet nuclear energy appears to produce the greatest amount of damaging effects to this planet. Nuclear waste can remain deadly on earth’s surface for millions of years. Many citizens may have some form of knowledge on nuclear energy, but are not well informed about it. This form of energy is known to come from the separation of atoms from a particular element in turn releasing a form of energy. These small microscopic atoms may seem harmless however, when creating this form of energy it produces what is known as radiation. When this energy is produced radioactive waste follows, which in turn, can be incredibly hazardous for humans, animals, and plant life. This energy can pose as a threat, especially when the radioactive waste is not disposed of properly contaminating the surrounding environment. Nuclear power plants require a great deal of labor, expenditures, as well as upkeep. When considering nuclear energy as a valuable source of energy, one must consider the various disadvantages including possible environmental threats, potential malfunction or failure, and constructing expenses as well as maintenance.

As a result of the Industrial Revolution, fossil fuels have become a indivisible part of human 's society. On one hand, they are the main sources of power generation; on the other hand, the emission of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels is causing global warming and climate change, widely considered as the most urgent problems this planet is facing right now. In order to mitigate the process of global warming, an introduction of an alternative clean energy to replace part of the burden of fossil fuels production becomes necessary. Nuclear power turns out to be the solution to this problem. Unlike other kinds of clean energy, nuclear energy can produce great amount of electricity and power without releasing any greenhouse gas. Although nuclear energy has become the alternate energy option because of its low emission of greenhouse gas and its productive efficiency, it has brought up unanticipated problems such as nuclear terrorism. The increasing number of nuclear power plants around the world gives terrorists opportunities to steal radioactive materials to create bombs. To prevent this from happening, the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), a subdivision of Homeland Security Department, established a detection system called "Enhanced Global Nuclear Detection Architecture," which is be deployed worldwide to monitor unauthorized activities that are associated with nuclear matters (Shea).

Introduction: We live in a world that is crumbling and being destroyed all around us at an increasing rate. Humanity is now on a collision course with the natural environment. Using an alternative energy source can prevent all this, rather than the primitive methods commonly used now. After taking multiple classes that covered environmental issues in the world around us. Today, I will talk about the current problems facing our environment and generating energy and how nuclear energy can help fix those affects.

Nuclear energy has always been considered as one of the best options to replace petroleum and other non-renewable sources of energy since the scientific research begin on it more than half a century ago. With the passage of time, scientists came up with ideas and systems to utilize this energy practically for the benefit of the mankind so that it can be an alternate to the non-renewable sources of energy adding to that some other uses as well (eg. Nuclear medicine). This off course is an engineering task and as a matter of fact scientists do not consider it as their first choice of research. In the following sections, we will see what are the major barriers that the Nuclear energy professionals have to face in next 50 years.

Energy runs the world. From cell phones to cars to computers, every technological advancement of the last millennium is dependent on one basic fundamental: the need for energy. However, within the last century, a global energy crisis has shocked the earth. Current power production methods pollute the environment, tearing ecosystems apart and destroying species. A clean, renewable, and powerful energy source is needed to survive. Nuclear energy is this source. The field of nuclear power is a modern, rising newcomer; however, nuclear energy is not as prominent within the energy industry as it must be. To truly stamp in change, the U.S government must grant more funds towards nuclear research and nuclear energy production must increase. Nuclear energy is the ultimate power source because it boasts only a minimal impact on the environment, leaves little waste, and is safe for humans.

On this assignment we are going to research all energy sources and their drawbacks, we are also going to explore on some the negative ramifications that even the clean hydropower have, additionally we are going to weigh those against the possible consequences of developing nuclear power, a controversial alternative to fossil fuels. We will discuss the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster as well as the 20th century Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in drawing conclusions about risk versus reward of nuclear energy use.

For the first time in history, the human race has the ability to drastically alter the Earth, Ever since the Industrial Revolution, where human technology and population began to increase exponentially, the environment has steadily been in decline. This is due to several factors: pollution, human expansion, and rapid use of natural resources are a few. One of the biggest problems in the world as a whole faces today is the rising energy crisis. In order to meet growing demand for electricity, power plants must, and have, become more numerous and more efficient. However, is it enough? At it’s current rate of consumption, the world’s supply of fossil fuels will be expended by 2060. Fossil fuels -a non-renewable resource- power almost all automobiles, and a large portion of power plants are coal- or gas-burning. Other types of electricity, like hydroelectric, nuclear, and wind and solar, are currently being used, but not enough to combat the rising demand for energy. Nuclear power should be more widely used as a source of electricity because it is more reliable than wind and solar energy, nuclear plants produce less greenhouse gas than coal-burning plants, and it is the most efficient method of producing energy so far.

The four necessities of human life are water, shelter, oxygen, and food, but as today’s digital society continues to advance, a new dependability on power has added electricity to that list. The capitalization on this new necessity generated an industry focused on energy. Over the years this industry has grown substantially, from coal, to fossil fuels, to natural gas, to nuclear power, and finally to renewable energy while all trying to maintain a balance between the power produced, and damage done to the earth. Energy is a rapidly growing industry that is always on the race to find the most efficient “clean” recourse; when contrasting the two major options, nuclear power and renewable energy, it is very clear that renewable is the more efficient of the two, providing safer, cleaner, cheaper energy that gives power corporations better investment options in this ever-expanding industry.

Several factors regarding both the environment and economy make nuclear energy a worthwhile investment. Without a doubt, climate change due to the emission of greenhouse gases impacts the environment and poses a threat to ecosystems and the health of humans. The trapping of solar heat from gases such as carbon dioxide and methane is a result of human activities. Specifically, most of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil. However, the alternative usage of nuclear energy does not emit greenhouse gases, reducing the cause of climate change. In addition to being more appropriate than fossil fuel regarding air pollution, nuclear energy is independent. While fossil fuels depend on a supply of decayed organisms, solar and wind energy depend

Solar panel, which full name is called solar panel electricity systems, also known as solar photovoltaics, capture the sun 's energy using photovoltaic cells. These cells do not need direct sunlight to work, they can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day. The cells convert the sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting (energy saving trust, 2014). At the beginning of solar panel 's carry out, it is not known to many people who are used to the traditional way of electricity supplement. However, people started to realize that the traditional energy is not unlimited, and will be depleted quickly with the popularize of new power knowledge. Additionally, The Solar panel which was only a niche market a few years ago, and it is now becoming a mainstream electricity provider, changing the way the world is powered (Masson, 2014). The benefits of using solar panels are also widely accepted by people around the world, such as cut down the electricity bill, get paid for the electricity generate, sell electricity back to the grid, and cut carbon footprint (energy saving trust, 2014).