It comes as no surprise that the use of energy plays a major role, not only from an economic viewpoint but as a common necessity all around the globe. Over the years, we have been able to extract natural resources from the Earth to fuel our homes, transportation, and infrastructure. However, don’t let the term “natural” distract you from the effects of using these fossil fuels known as coal, oil, and natural gas. The manner in which we extract and use these items have caused significant damage to the environment and life on the planet, releasing millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere each year. These harmless actions contribute to the overwhelming reality of climate change. Alternative forms of energy, although, have been synthesized and brought into questioning. Different forms of alternative energy sources include solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear, and/or hydropower energy; each form bringing in answers as well as new sets of questions and drawbacks. However, nuclear energy is one alternative source of energy that surpasses the rest. The use of nuclear energy rather than fossil fuels will aid in the improvement of the climate while also proving to be an efficient and reliable energy source.
To address the concept of nuclear energy without first understanding its drawbacks would be ill-advised. The idea for alternative sources, whichever one that may be proposed will all come with a latter of shortcomings. Nuclear energy is notorious for being infamous around the world, starting in the late 1970s. Of course, when working with nuclear energy, safety is always the first and foremost concern, although that may not always be the case. Incidents of nuclear calamities include the infamous Chernobyl disaster of 1986, the Fukushima Daiichi disaster of 2011, and the lesser-known and more contained Three Mile Island accident in 1979. These unfortunate tragedies distraught the world and questioned the use of nuclear energy. These incidents, even though tragic, are deflecting from the capabilities of what nuclear energy can actually yield.
When discussing the matter surrounding nuclear energy, the general public tends to be unaware of how energy is produced. In nuclear power plants, fission, also known as the separation of atoms, is done in a regulated reaction chamber. During this process, high-level technology is used to separate the element known as Uranium, which releases an excess amount of heat. This heat converts the water supply located within the power plant into steam, which in turn drives the turbines, producing large amounts of energy with the only emission being water vapor. As stated by Sam Good on the online organization of Greening Forward, “Nuclear power facilities can produce energy at a 91% efficiency rate 24/7, with virtually zero carbon emissions.” The most notable arguments against the use of nuclear energy is the cost. Many speculate that the cost of building these structures along with producing the energy is too large for the United States to invest in. Although these concerns may be valid, nuclear power plants in the “U.S. saves $12 billion dollars each year for energy costs because of nuclear power, with nuclear power plants actually emitting fewer radioactive materials into the environment than a traditional coal-burning plant” (Good 2). therefore, not only would the cost of investing in nuclear power plants save the United States billions of dollars, but it is also much cleaner than our tactics of today.
Since the operation of nuclear power plants began in the 1950s, it has become a major part of the economy of the world as well as the leading form of energy shared by every country. Countries in Asia, North and South America, and Europe have all played a role in the advancement of the nuclear power plant. In studies conducted by the World Nuclear Association, 11% of the world’s electricity is provided by over 450 reactors located around the globe, and 20% of the United States’ total electricity in 2016. The potential of nuclear energy is widely recognized as a backup for the fossil fuel industry and may one day become our main source of energy.
With the beginning of the use of nuclear energy, it has been divided into groups of confidence in our end for searching a reliable energy source, or an unstable concept that is too dangerous for a man to handle. That being said, the development and improvements that have occurred throughout the years have drastically improved the safety and methodology in extracting energy using this tactic. When comparing the unfortunate disasters that have occurred because of nuclear energy, there are only 3 out of a total of 450 plants worldwide. These incidents should be seen as rough patches among a road that’ll lead us into a future where the reality of global warming will become a thing of the past.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_plant
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