What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear energy is the world's largest source of emission-free energy. Nuclear power plants produce no controlled air pollutants, such as sulfur and particulates, or greenhouse gases. "Renewables" like solar, wind and biomass can help. But only nuclear power offers clean, environmentally friendly energy on a massive scale. The use of nuclear energy in place of other energy sources helps to keep the air clean, preserve the Earth's climate, avoid ground-level ozone formation and prevent acid rain. “Currently, there are 103 commercial nuclear power plants producing electricity in the United States, located at 64 sites in 31 states. They are, on average, 24 years old, and

The production of nuclear energy is not as safe and clean as some say that it is. The Oxford Research Group released a report providing evidence that supports this point. It is clear that nuclear power plants do not produce a lot of carbon dioxide when they operate, but it is the mining of uranium and the storing of waste that produces the carbon dioxide pollution.

The use of nuclear power plants is a more efficient energy source compared to coal power plants. Coal has high emissions of greenhouse gases, especially SO2 which leads to acid rain formation, smog, health impairments, radioactivity and climate change. Nuclear power plants emit little to no harmful pollutants or gases, and if properly managed should not contribute to atmospheric climate change (AIU Online, 2016).

Summary: In this paper I will discuss the overall of nuclear energy to rectify some misconception. I will give the advantages and disadvantages for using nuclear energy and let the readers understand the basic idea of it.

Nuclear power plants are a safe, clean and reliable source of energy production. They are uniquely qualified to meet the growing demand for energy in the USA.

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

history took place on March 28, 1979 at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania. A cooling system failed, causing a partial meltdown, but a full meltdown was averted and there were no fatalities. However, despite the positive outcome and despite the passage of more than 30 years, the incident remains fresh in the minds of those who are old enough to remember it.

According to the World Energy Outlook report in 2006, nuclear energy is listed as the least efficient measure in reducing GHG emission, whereas improved energy efficiency had contributed 65% of the total reduction. Therefore I believe that while we are waitting to switch to a “real” sustainable energy source, we should focus on improving energy efficiency and conservation instead of risking the distinction of mankind by continue developing nuclear industries. Unlike, nuclear power, improving energy efficiency not only reduce the GHG emission on electricity generation, it can also be applied to a much broader context, such as transportation, agriculture, and manufacturing which in total contribute to over 50% of world's total GHG emissions (browse energy and climate data). Nevertheless, continue to expand renewable energy is also a good option for replacing our dependence on nuclear energy. Numerous scientific studies have already shown how wind and solar energy are already cheaper to operate than nuclear energy, while being able to generate more energy than nuclear given equal resources ( ). In Europe, even though Germany has less wind resource than Britain, it was reported that currently the electricity generated by wind in Germany has already surpassed the nuclear generated energy in Britain (Barnaby and Kemp, “Future,” p.

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.

There are many advancements being made to make nuclear power not only safer for use and the environment, but also to make it more efficient. There is still a lot of work to be done to accomplish these goals set forth by the Nuclear Generation 4 project, but the future seems to be very promising. Only so much work can be done during a phase of research and development. It will take global cooperation to continue to move forward and be able to conclude the research and start a new phase of test sites. With the worldwide demand to find more efficient and sustainable energy sources for the future, nuclear power should remain a front runner for available

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.

As each year passes, more and more electricity will be made as a result of increased nuclear power plants around the world. The economic benefits of nuclear energy are equally advantageous as the environmental aspects.

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.

Nuclear energy has been around longer than people think. In 1934 Physicist Enrico Fermi experiments in Rome showing that Neutrons can split many kind s of atoms. In 1946 the Atomic Energy Commission was created to explore peaceful uses of energy and nuclear energy development. In 1951 an experimental Breeder reactor produced the first electric power from nuclear energy in

Most of the early research done on nuclear energy consisted of trying to make nuclear weapons. The experiments were performed in New Mexico under the name of the Manhattan Project. Their efforts were a success with the creation of the first atom bomb. After World War II though, the use of nuclear energy was turned more peaceful uses. In 1946 Congress created the Atomic Energy