The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Energy

Attention Getter: When most people think of nuclear energy, the first thing that comes to their minds is a devastating bomb explosion or a nuclear power plant meltdown. But, in reality, nuclear energy is a sustainable energy source that has an enormous variety of uses.

Nuclear power is, to many people, seen as unsafe and unstable much attributed to the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl plant failures, Chernobyl actually having a meltdown releasing radiation into the atmosphere. What people fail to realize is that nuclear power is the cheapest and one of the cleanest ways of producing power. Nuclear plants create no greenhouse gases to pollute the atmosphere and are very reliable, not depending on solar cycle or rainfall to produce energy. Nuclear waste is also an issue most people bring up but in our advances in technology we now have proven and effective ways to dispose of the waste. With the amount of uranium we have on the planet and the amount used to create power we have virtually an unlimited supply of fuel. Though not abundant, as with most power generation processes there are adverse effects with creating nuclear power.

There are many power sources that can be utilized for our everyday lives; to heat our homes , run our toasters, and light our hallways. Most of that power either directly or indirectly comes form the sun(such as solar energy and fossil fuels). But one energy source that derived by the pure ingenuity of man is nuclear power. As with all power sources there are positive and negative externalities. For example: the burning of fossil fuel releases SOX and NOX into the air which can cause harm to the health of humans ie. negative externality. But what is the the environmental effect of using nuclear energy? What is the cost of extracting all this energy from so little?

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

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 energy is much better than other sources of energy for many reasons. It is cheaper long-term than renewable energy, like wind turbines and solar power, safer than coal and has minimal atmospheric contamination. It is also much more efficient than coal, and genetic risks are minimal. The cancer risk increase of nuclear energy is next to nothing; it is only .002%, shortening life expectancies by less than one hour.

“No one in the United States has become seriously ill or has died because of any kind of accident at a civilian nuclear power plant.” says Joe Barton. This is a highly controversial topic where there are many conflicting opinions. Some people believe that these plants are too dangerous to exist while other think that they are the edge of tomorrow. When analyzing it from a purely statistical and analytical standpoint, nuclear energy is clearly worth the possible risks they pose.

Although nuclear energy has many upsides, there is one most commonly worried about problem with these facilities, the danger of radiation. Radiation poisoning can severely handicap people, animals, plants, and with bad exposure to high radiation it can cause death. A good example of the dangers of nuclear energy is Chernobyl. This was a place in the Ukraine where there was a steam explosion which in turn lead to a fire in the nuclear reactor. This produced a cloud of deadly radioactive gas which is a called a plume. This plume can get into waterways, get in the rain cycle, and be taken by weather all over the

Nuclear Energy has many supporters around the world. The benefit of Nuclear Energy are clear to many. People who are for Nuclear Energy, support it for many reasons. The outcome of produced power can be changed, all you do is change the fuel entering the chain reactor (Page 11). One main factor that puts nuclear energy on top is it lets out little air pollutants, greenhouse gases, smog, slows global warming, and helps limit acid rain (Sally

The potential and economic effects of Nuclear power can be devastating. Just look at Chernobyl. And everywhere that has Nuclear power. Where does all the radioactive and toxic waste go? We just put it in a huge barrel, and bury them in deep caves. It doesn’t get rid of the problem, it makes a bigger one. What happens if there’s an earthquake, and all of that spills and gets into our water system, or our oceans, or kills off our animals? It’s not safe.

Have you ever wondered what affects Nuclear Power can have? There is also many bad things that come from Nuclear power, like cancer and other illnesses.There are many Power plants under construction, and are there more on the way. Nuclear power is really clean, and very simple.

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.

When the term nuclear power or nuclear energy comes into conversations, often the first thoughts that come to mind are bombs, destruction, radioactive waste, and war. However, these four things occur the least in the nuclear power field. It is far more than just mass destruction and devastation, nuclear power is used to create electricity in a safe and eco-friendly manor. People have a high level of concern about the use of nuclear energy especially after past devastations such as Chernobyl or Fukushima. Even with these accidents, society should not oppose the use of nuclear energy because of advancements in technology, it has become a very environmentally friendly and cost efficient energy source.

The choice of whether or not to use nuclear energy as a power source is admittedly a controversial one. When people think about nuclear energy it can often be from a negative point of view. People are concerned about nuclear energy, perhaps even rightfully so, because of the potential for deadly accidents to occur, the generation of toxic radioactive waste, and release of radiation into the environment if such waste is improperly stored. However, many consider these concerns to be overly exaggerated, particular given the advancements in nuclear reactor technology since its earlier days. The fact is nuclear power is a cheaper source of fuel than using coal or oil, let alone compared to other traditional alternative forms of energy. Also in comparison to current fossil fuel based power generation, it is significantly safer and cleaner. We should use nuclear power instead of other sources of energy because it can produce high levels of electricity at relatively low cost, it would significantly reduce the existing damage to our environment and atmosphere caused by more common forms of fuel, and it is relatively safe.

Energy is one of the most viable resources in our modern powered world. “In 2015, The US Energy Information Administration reported that the modern world consumed 575 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu). That figure is projected to increase by 28% to 736 quadrillion Btu by the year 2040” (US Energy Info Admin. 2017). Our high consumption of fossil fuels to power our modern world produces large amounts of carbon dioxide, which scientists say contribute to climate change. Currently, a debate rages over climate change and the need to reduce our emissions. On both sides of that debate are people who favor nuclear power as a cleaner and renewable resource and those who oppose it due to fears of environmental catastrophes. While nuclear energy is an efficient and more powerful sustainable energy source, it is environmentally dangerous and expensive to build, use and decommission.