Nuclear Power : 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.

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.

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.

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.

In both of the supporting articles over the use of nuclear energy, there is a proficient amount of strengthens and weakness in both arguments. Though the use of the background and prior information given in the preclude, it allows the reader to understand the basics of nuclear energy and the way both authors are approaching to present their ideas. Using this analytical preface most of the information presented, allows the reader to have an idea on which side is more appealing to their choosing. Allowing the reader to get a perspective on both sides of the argument will insight them on the information presented and will ultimately give a substantial amount of evidence to back their claims.

Throughout history, the source of energy that powers the world has advanced alongside technology. The power on which civilization thrives has to be in accordance to the demand at which it is required. As technology evolves, objects from which energy can be extracted can expanded exponentially. In the status quo, the United States is trying to limit the greenhouse gas emissions instead of just switching power sources which is the wrong direction they should be going in. [Thesis] Instead of wasting their time and money investing in burning coal as their main source of power, countries and their governments need to assist in the transition to a more cost effective and efficient form of energy in the form of nuclear energy.

The major focus will be on uranium based reactors, and to assess the potential of nuclear, it will also be compared to other renewable energy sources, for instance solar and wind. All information and figures used in this investigation were collected from reputable sources such as peer-reviewed journals, and intergovernmental organisation reports. References were carefully chosen that provide a non-biased investigation into their topic, and that the information quoted in them was sourced from trustworthy sources. Despite this, there is no guarantee that claims made in the papers will be genuine, and so care has been taken to ensure multiple sources for any information where

(19) Nuclear fuel is one of the most efficient means of extracting energy from a fuel source. Nuclear energy comes in two different forms, fusion and fission. Einstein came up with the famous equation E = mc^2 to satisfy these two processes. Fusion is the joining of two smaller nuclei to form a larger nucleus. Fission is when a large nucleus is stuck by one neutron which causes it to split into two smaller nuclei and release three neutrons. Nuclear power plants use fission to generate energy. When you have a large amount of Uranium - 235 the neutrons repeatedly hit another isotope, causing a chain reaction to occur. Therefore, the uranium in the plant has to have enough U-235, otherwise known as enriched uranium, for this to function properly. The enrichment is reached by using an isotope

In the article “Nuclear energy Pros and Cons,” Mathias Maehlum analyzes the pros and cons of nuclear energy. Before going into the advantages and disadvantages, Maehlum mentions some facts about nuclear energy. These facts include how many reactors are in the United States, how much power they produce, and how they produce power. Maehlum states that “There are 104 commercial nuclear power plants in the United States producing a whopping 806.2 TWh of electricity” this was twenty percent of all electricity generation in the US in 2008. Maehlum then explains how nuclear power is produced.

In the following, the benefits and drawbacks of generating electricity with the use of nuclear energy will be discussed.

Nuclear power was the world’s fastest growing form of energy in the 1990’s. However, presently it is the second slowest growing worldwide. Considering that nuclear power accounts for eleven percent of the world’s energy supply, one must ask what happened [Nuclear Power]. Why is it that the growth of nuclear power has almost completely stalled? The simple answer is that after meltdowns such as Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, many people are afraid of nuclear power plants, which causes great opposition to the expansion of the industry. Unfortunately, most people are not well informed about nuclear energy; many do not take the time to view its positives and negatives.

The world today functions on electricity and technology. Throughout the generations, scientists and engineers have been innovative and discovered ways to create electricity. The most popular method, as of right now, is fossil fuels. However, the world is slowly running out and soon another method will have to replace fossil fuels. The obvious answers are natural resources, such as wind, water, and solar power, which will not run out. However, all these sources are unreliable, and therefore not a steady enough method to replace fossil fuels. Nuclear power can end the search for a power source and supply much more electricity at a smaller cost.

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.

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.

The search and need for an energy source is a universal objective for all nations on earth. Human societies have been built on the consumption of natural resources for energy since the beginning of human existence. The first source of course came from the burning of wood from trees to produce fire that has kept humans warm and fed throughout the ages. With the evolution of human civilization the need for more powerful energy sources have arisen. The industrial revolution of the early 20th century demanded a new source which could keep up with humanities growing technologies. Coal, oil, and natural gas now account for the vast majority of nation’s sources of energy, but these resources have only finite supply. Nuclear energy became an important next step in humanities source for a sustainable energy source. In recent years though nuclear energy has started to decline in use primarily due to the public’s disapproval after such devastating nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and more recently the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan. This decline in nuclear energy is not the case in China today, in fact they are making huge movements to ramp up their use of nuclear energy. By looking at the history then taking an in-depth look into recent nuclear power in China we will be able to see why and how China is making such extensive leaps in nuclear energy.