The Pros And Cons Of Fossil Fueling The Future

As the worlds population continues to grow, the energy demand will also increase posing an important question as to how will we keep up with the demand, and which source of energy will be the most efficient and be a better source for human sustainability. Fuel for nuclear energy is abundant and is derived from the fission of uranium and plutonium. It meets the definition of sustainable by being able to provide energy for long time periods without depriving future generations; it releases very little greenhouse gases, is less expensive, and is a reliable form of

Arjun Makhijani, a prominent researcher for The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, claims that today’s emission rate of carbon dioxide is about nine gigatons annually and that the Earth only has the capability to absorb 3 gigatons annually—thus a problem arises. Furthermore, Makhijani states that about 2/3rds of the carbon dioxide emissions are caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum. With those shocking statistics in mind, fossil fuel’s emission of carbon dioxide is thought to be the leading cause of climate change—which is responsible for irreversible and catastrophic changes to the Earth. Yet, scientist had tremendous difficulty finding a safe, effective, and efficient form of energy supply that will met the great consumption rate. Many prominent scientist suggest that nuclear power is the most plausible explanation and solution to the fuel crisis. However, despite nuclear power having a exponentially lower emission rate, it presents its own hazards and threats—such as the Chernobyl and the Three Mile Island incidents. These accidents have many activists and politicians cautious about the prospect of using nuclear power as a complete alternative to fossil fuels—regardless nuclear plants are responsible for 11% of the energy supplied to the world annually (World Nuclear Association.) What many of the activist and politicians seem to overlook is that fossil fuels are an indefinite energy supply and will quite possible run out within

Throughout this world, we use various equipment that need certain energy requirements in order for them to run properly. Two of the utmost imperative sources of energy in our world today come from coal and nuclear power. Still, a great deal of citizens of this world are unaware of the impacts of nuclear power whether it be positive or negative due to the fact that nuclear power has not existed as long as coal power has. However, as nuclear power becomes a major resource of energy, we as citizens must determine which is more fitting for not only us, but our environment. As this report continues on, you will come to find the history of each of these resources along with the advantages and disadvantages of each. Concluded from this research was the concept that nuclear power is worthier for America as a whole. Included below are the specific points as to why nuclear power is far superior for American citizens and our environment. However, the main notion to be taken from this report is the view that we need to become further educated on the energy resources present in this world and be able to determine how we can become more efficient and contribute less to climate change in the long run.

One of the key issues with fossil fuels is the fact that they are non-renewable. Humans consume fossil fuels at a faster rate than it is produced. With humans consuming more and more fossil fuels as more countries develop and increase their energy needs, the need for renewables like nuclear energy becomes greater. One of the large

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.

A fossil-fueled power plant relies on the ancient technology of fire to produce heat. According to Harold L. Flescher “Today, almost 50% of electricity in the United States comes from coal, almost 20% from natural gas, almost 20% from nuclear and 7% from hydroelectric. That adds up to over 95% of the United States electrical energy generation capability. Everything else, including solar and wind, today contributes less than 5% of U.S. electrical needs” (2). It is believed that our country and many others will continue to use coal and other fossil fueled plants as a main source for electricity for another couple of generations until we eventually graduate from the idea of using fossil fueled power plants (Flescher 2). The structure developed

Nuclear power has been one of the largest contributors of energy for the past fifty years. With the end of World War II, research into nuclear energies shifted away from war applications to simply using it to power the world. Nuclear power was regarded as the never ending energy source that would bring an end to energy problems and power the whole world. For many years it seemed to work with no problems; however, that was a short lived reality. As problems with nuclear energy came to light, many believed it was a better investment for the future to research and develop new energy sources or just continue using fossil fuels. Many believe the risks and downsides of nuclear power outweigh the benefits. However, there are still many advocates of nuclear power that believe it is the best energy source for the world for reasons such as its large production of energy, their belief that it is not a major harm to the environment, and their belief that it is better than the other energy alternatives. However, in spite of these beliefs and facts, research into nuclear power opposes the belief that nuclear power should be the main contributor of power because they are expensive to build and can result in a catastrophic situations.

Nuclear power is presently a key way of providing energy for our world. As of 2011, power plants generated about 14% of the whole world’s electricity (Cole). Nuclear power also does not use fossil fuels and therefore is a low pollutant. However, there are significant costs of nuclear power. Nuclear power plants emit radiation and can leak causing environmental damage and significant health risks. Nuclear power plants are also expensive to build and maintain. Terrorists can easily turn the nuclear fission in the plant into a deadly weapon. There are also better alternatives to provide our world with power. The sun is a natural source that many are starting to use as a source of electricity. Water and wind

Energy consumption has become a necessity and an important part of our daily life in the past 10 years. It seems that the world is looking for an energy source that is cleaner, cheaper and more efficient and since nuclear energy has emerged it has become the forerunner for alternative energy sources. ‘As of 2004, nuclear power provided 6.5% of the world's energy and 15.7% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for 57% of nuclear generated electricity’ (‘Nuclear energy facts’ 2007). Nuclear energy can be a doubled edged sword as it can be used for peaceful uses or used to manufacture weapons of mass destruction which can put the world in danger. As more countries begin to

Fossil fuels have been the main source of energy for many years. Nevertheless, because of the pollution they cause, people are seeking new sources of energy every day. As many believe, nuclear power is the power of the future. However, while many people are excited about nuclear power, there are certain drawbacks. Although there are possible benefits to nuclear power, the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages.

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.

We should rely of fossil fuels because it’s an essential resource and we use it to run our cars, warm up our houses and have electricity and many industries rely on it. Because we have used it for so many years a lot of time and money has been put into it. They are many equipment all around the world that has been designed to take out our fossil fuel therefore it should be used. Fossil fuels are scattered around the world and are not hard to find although we do have to reach very deep to get it. It’s still accessible. The efficiency of fossil fuel is another factor because it can generate a lot of energy. And carrying it from one place can be done by pipes underground. To put the pipes in place was a very expensive project that’s why we should continue to use it. Another positive side is the fact that it creates thousands of jobs every years and that’s not only in America but also other countries around the world and if many people lose their jobs it can negatively affect the economy.

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 the human race grows, so does its need for electrical power. For the longest time now we have been relying heavily on fossil fuels to generate a large amount of their electrical power, this has caused many problems such as release of many harmful chemicals into the atmosphere, as well as causing many other issues. Newer technologies have enabled us to generate power through nuclear fission, which cancels out many issues that fossil fuels causes, although it creates new issues that are also difficult to solve. This investigation will explore the issues of both fossil fuels and nuclear power to answer the question “Would converting our main power source from fossil fuels to nuclear power be the correct choice?”

Nuclear energy has been successful in decreasing the pollution created by energy production. Energy production takes a tremendous tole on our environment, from the industrialization of western countries such as America and Britain, to the extreme pollution being expelled by China today, the amount of carbon being released is extremely harmful. Nuclear energy produces virtually no carbon emissions (World moving in Wrong Direction). This alternative provides a safe and environmentally friendly method to energy productive that hasn’t yet been utilized. Nuclear- generated electricity contributes little, on a life-cycle basis, to greenhouse gas emissions and could help drastically in