Nuclear Energy: Increased Energy Production and Consequences of Use

In the late 16th century, Londoners were faced with a shortage of firewood, and it forced them to switch to the use of coal. However, Elizabethton preachers strongly opposed coal, delaying a timely resolution to a shortage of energy. The world faces a similar problem today, as there is a shortage of energy sources, and environmentalists condemn the use of nuclear energy. Nuclear energy serves as a clean way to produce energy, and therefore the production of nuclear energy should be increased.

Today, nuclear power makes up 19.7 percent of the United States' energy sources. As this percentage continues to rise, it is important to understand the process of nuclear fission. In this process, atoms split to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. The arrangement of particles in uranium-235 is somewhat unstable, and the nucleus breaks into smaller pieces when it absorbs an additional neutron. Nuclear fission takes place inside the reactor of a nuclear power plant, and the center of the reactor contains uranium fuel. The heat produced during fission in the reactor core is used to boil water into steam. This steam turns the steam turbine and drives the generators to make electricity. Afterward, nuclear plants cool the steam back into the water in cooling towers: this water goes back to other bodies of water.

The use of nuclear fission energy should be increased to help meet the world’s increasingly demanding energy needs. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, the United States prevented 14,000 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere between 1995 and 2016 by using nuclear power. Because nuclear energy releases no carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, or nitrogen oxide, the use of nuclear energy during these 21 years is comparable to removing 3 billion cars from the road. On the other hand, nuclear power plants require fossil fuels from ancillary use during their construction, mining, fuel processing, maintenance, and decommissioning. Although the use of fossil fuels is required to a limited extent, it only requires around 4 to 5 percent as much as a natural gas-fired power plant, therefore, making nuclear energy a cleaner alternative to the traditional use of fossil fuels. As global warming has become an increasingly ruinous phenomenon, preventing the release of carbon dioxide into the air has become an important issue that needs to be addressed.

Another reason why the use of nuclear energy should be increased is the capacity of nuclear energy is enormous while the land footprint required is small. Capacity is defined as the percentage of energy produced in a given amount of time. Whereas wind energy, solar energy, and hydropower are consistent and highly dependent on the weather, nuclear power is independent from the weather and is a reliable source of renewable energy. In 2016, nuclear power plants generated around 20 percent of U.S electricity, and had an average capacity factor of 92.3 percent, compared to 25.1 percent of solar electricity, and 52.8 percent of coal. Thus, nuclear energy is by far the most reliable energy source. One proposed limitation to the capacity of nuclear energy, however, is the availability of the relatively scarce metals used in the construction of the reactor vessel and core. While this scarcity is not of immediate concern, it is nevertheless a challenge presented in expanding the use of nuclear energy. Furthermore, it takes up less space than many other forms of renewable energy sources. The average 1,000-megawatt nuclear facility in the United States requires slightly more than 1 square mile to operate. However, wind farms require 360 times more land area to produce the same amount of electricity and solar photovoltaic facilities require 75 times more space than nuclear power plants. By switching to nuclear power, this land could be utilized in other ways such as crop production, the establishment of cities, etc.

Safety is one of the most important factors when it comes to creating more energy source sites. Nuclear power plants have very high safety standards to meet in order to function: there are multiple overlapping levels of safety designed to prevent accidental radiation release. Some examples of safety precautions taken include rods that encase the reactor’s uranium fuel, massive steel vessels and piping that contain the fuel rods and cooling system, and a highly robust building that houses the reactor, which is made with steel-reinforced concrete that is several feet thick. The Nuclear Regulatory Committee (NRC) and Federal Emergency Management Agency approve of emergency plans that are needed by nuclear power plants to ensure further safety. The NRC conducts evaluations to nuclear power plants to ensure reactor safety, radiation safety, and security. Because of these safety precautions, nuclear energy sources are safe to use. Even Bill Gates stated that “Nuclear energy, in terms of an overall safety record, is better than other energy.”

In the past, scientists have used many methods to address issues with nuclear power production. One such instance was the Fukushima Daiichi accident. Following a major earthquake, a 15-meter tsunami destroyed the power supply and cooling of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors, causing a nuclear accident on 11 March 2011: all three cores melted in the first three days, cautioning radioactive materials to be released into the air. In response, scientists called for covers to be built over the units to reduce airborne radioactive substances from being released into the air. Additionally, fuel removal the pools of units 1 and 2 was scheduled for 2018 while fuel debris retrieval was scheduled for 2020. Even though accidents like this occur, nuclear power is still a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels.

In short, nuclear energy is essential to fighting climate change, and its production of it should be increased to help account for the world’s increased energy needs. The World Health Organization has stated that urban air pollution, which is a mixture of all of the chemicals just described, causes 7 million deaths annually or about 1 in 8 of total deaths. The continued use of fossil fuels emits greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming, which is a growing phenomenon society faces. Thus, the production of nuclear energy needs to be increased.

As global warming is becoming an increasing threat to society, scientists are scrambling to find cleaner alternatives in order to preserve the environment by decreasing the number of greenhouse gases from being released into the air. One proposed alternative to is nuclear energy. However, nuclear energy is just as dangerous as coal-fired and natural gas power. While it doesn’t release any carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, or nitrogen oxide into the air, it has many hazardous consequences that pose a great deal of risk. Currently, there are 444 nuclear power plants in 30 countries, with another 63 plants under construction, but the use of nuclear power should be stopped because of nuclear waste, the pricey cost of nuclear energy, and accidents it has caused.

Today, nuclear power makes up 19.7 percent of the United States energy sources, and before this percentage grows any higher, the numerous consequences of nuclear energy have to be considered. In nuclear fission, atoms split to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. The arrangement of particles in uranium-235 is somewhat unstable, and the nucleus breaks into smaller pieces when it absorbs an additional neutron. Nuclear fission takes place inside the reactor of a nuclear power plant, and the center of the reactor contains uranium fuel. The heat produced during fission in the reactor core is used to boil water into steam. This steam turns the steam turbine and drives the generators to make electricity. Afterward, nuclear plants cool the steam back into the water in cooling towers: this water goes back to other bodies of water. While this may seem like a clear alternative to fossil fuels, fossil fuels are needed in ancillary use during construction, mining, fuel processing, maintenance, and decommissioning (Rhodes, Richard).

A major environmental concern that comes with nuclear energy is the creation of radioactive wastes such as uranium mill tailings, reactor fuel, and other radioactive wastes. Radioactive wastes generated from nuclear power can remain radioactive and dangerous for thousands of years. Furthermore, there are simply no long-term solutions to solve this issue. Currently, most of the waste is stored in temporary, above-ground facilities. However, these facilities are quickly running out of space causing nuclear energy facilities to potentially look for other types of storage that are both more costly and less safe. Some in the nuclear industry argue that although there are issues with nuclear power, the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to nuclear waste. However, there are cleaner alternatives such as solar and wind power that don’t produce radioactive waste that can be extremely dangerous to human health.

As the cost of running nuclear power plants is on the rise, many are being shut down, as they can no longer sustain a nuclear power plant without suffering economic losses. Initial capital costs, fuel, and maintenance costs are exponentially higher for nuclear plants than for wind and solar power. Additionally, nuclear facilities tend to suffer cost overruns and construction delays. As renewable energy sources make technological advancements, the price of renewable energy sources has fallen significantly, and it is projected to continue to fall. While some may argue that today, societies need nuclear energy because solar, wind and other types of energy sources are still in the developing phases, these other renewable energy sources will eventually catch up and serve as a better alternative than nuclear energy.

Finally, the most frightening consequence of nuclear power plants is the devastating accidents that could occur as a result of human error or natural disasters. The Chornobyl disaster in 1986 led to the deaths of 30 employees in the initial explosion and it has resulted in negative health effects on thousands of others that were exposed to harmful chemicals caused by this accident. Similarly, the Fukushima Daiichi Accident in Japan resulted in the relocation of hundreds of thousands of people, millions of dollars spent, and many deaths. Cancer rates in both areas rose significantly. One limitation to this argument, however, is that fossil fuel facilities experience far more deaths from the job than nuclear power, and their facilities are just as dangerous, and thus nuclear energy is safer. One of the biggest fossil fuel accidents in history was the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Around 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, up to 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, and at least 22 killer whales were killed in this deadliest accident. It is estimated that it cost as much as 2.8 billion dollars to clean up this oil spill.

Because of the many consequences of nuclear energy, societies should find cleaner alternatives such as solar or wind power instead of relying on nuclear energy. While it may seem like a clean alternative to fossil fuels because it doesn’t release any carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, or nitrogen oxide into the air, it still uses fossil fuels in the construction of nuclear power plants, and it releases much radioactive waste that is extremely hazardous. Thus, the use of nuclear power should be stopped, and people should search for cleaner alternatives.

Because the use of nuclear energy has many positive benefits to the environment and society as a whole, the production of nuclear energy should be increased to help account for the world’s increased energy needs. There are pros and cons to every energy source, and the pros of using nuclear energy substantially outweigh any cons. Nuclear energy is the most dependable energy source, has the highest production capacity, and serves as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels

Firstly, nuclear energy is by far the most dependable energy source. It is estimated that by 2090, oil, gas, and coal will not be available anymore. Therefore, humans have to quickly find an alternative for these soon-to-be extinct resources. Although solar power and wind power are also alternatives to fossil fuels, they are not as reliable and are highly dependent on factors outside the control of science. Wind energy, solar energy, and hydropower are also highly dependent on the weather, while nuclear power is independent from the weather and is, therefore, the most reliable source of renewable energy. Furthermore, it has an average capacity factor of 92.3 percent compared to the measly 25.1 percent of solar energy. It is very difficult for wind and solar power to catch up with the reliability of nuclear power, and the economy would suffer devastating consequences if the use of nuclear power was decreased or halted. Additionally, nuclear power plants require a lot less landmass to operate on compared to other renewable energy sources. As overpopulation becomes an increasingly large problem for society, the amount of land mass used for energy greatly matters. Thus, nuclear energy is the best alternative for fossil fuels, and its production capacity should be increased.

Additionally, nuclear energy is far more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels. It doesn’t release particles such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, or nitrogen oxide into the air, which all contribute to global warming. Because saving the planet that we live on is of the utmost importance, a renewable energy source needs to be found to replace fossil fuels. Nuclear energy is the best clean alternative, and although it has its consequences, it also has its many benefits that outweigh those consequences.