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Advantages of nuclear energy
Advantages of nuclear power
Advantages of nuclear energy
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As the need of electricity rises to sustain more and more electrical devices and support America’s constantly growing population, there becomes a need for more efficient ways of producing the energy needed to accommodate these demands. There are plenty of renewable resources such as wind, water, and the sun, but these sources have yet shown any practical use in America’s need for massive amounts of energy (Schulz). One solution to America’s needs may be to look more deeply into nuclear power. Nuclear power plants split uranium and plutonium atoms, a process known as fission, to produce high amounts of heat within a reactor, turning water into steam used to power generators (Introduction to Nuclear Energy). Twenty percent of America's energy already comes from nuclear power (Alexander); why is America so afraid of expanding this technology that it helped create? America should turn to nuclear power as its primary source of energy because it will help stimulate the economy, create new advancements in nuclear technology, and is much more safe than once believed. An increase in nuclear power plants would put more money into the economy in a variety of ways. Some people argue that the cost of nuclear power plants are more expensive to build compared to fossil fuel or gas based plants (Ferguson), which is true, but the costs to fuel a nuclear plant is far less than it is for oil or gas. “The amount of energy obtained from this 1 pound of U235 (uranium-235) is the same as would result from the burning of 200,000 gallons of gasoline or from the burning of 1,500 tons of coal” (Hughes 66). This massive amount of energy compared to the others would definitely lower prices for consumers to enjoy, spending money elsewhere in the economy. Ther... ... middle of paper ... ...overyNews. Discovery Communications, LLC , 17 Mar. 2010. n.pag. Web. 28 July 2010 Leary, Warren E. "Looking Anew at Nuclear Power for Space Travel.(Science Times)(NASA's Nuclear Systems Initiative)." The New York Times. 151. 52027, Feb 12, 2002: D1(N) pF1(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Alabama Virtual Library Remote Access. n.pag. Web. 27 July 2010 Lyons, Daniel. "Could This [Image of pellet on layout] Power the [Image Of Planet Earth on layout]?(Science and Technology)." Newsweek. 154. 21, Nov 23, 2009: 42. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Alabama Virtual Library Remote Access. n.pag. Web. 26 July 2010 Schulz, Max. "Only Nuclear Can Provide All the Green Energy We Need." Current Controversies: Nuclear Energy. Ed. Debra A. Miller. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. SRCX. Gale. Alabama Virtual Library Remote Access. n. pag. Web. 22 July 2010.
Nuclear power is a growing source of energy to most of the world for many benefits. People doubt the significant of nuclear power because of one accident. Due to this accident, the world has only seen the flaws in nuclear power and not the many benefits it has to offer. Nuclear power would benefit worldwide if people would let go of the past and look towards the future. Nuclear power is a better alternative energy because of its economic and environmental benefits.
5th Feb, 2014. Wolf, Johnathan. " The Spotlights." Wolf, Johnathan. AP Physics B. Barron’s:
Merali Z., Skinner B.,2009, Visualizing Earth Science, 1st Ed, John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey.
On March 13, 1997, an inexplicable phenomenon took place in the sky over Phoenix, Arizona. Thousands of people witnessed the occurrence, and a few dozen even caught it on camera. The event was so astonishing that the most world-renowned news source, CNN, broadcast it on national television. Disappearing, the mind-boggling event left thousands, or even millions, in disbelief at what they had just witnessed. What was it? The world may never know.
Carbon, Max W. Nuclear Power: Villain or Victim?: Our Most Misunderstood Source of Electricity. Second ed. Madison, WI: Pebble Beach, 1997.
Crop circles have been a mystery ever since they first appeared. In today’s world, people merely glance at an article about them. They simply brush it off to the side saying that “it has to be fake” or “it can’t be real”. Pat Delgado, a former NASA engineer, said, “It is perfectly natural to ask if crop circles are hoaxes, but very difficult to explain why they cannot be hoaxed satisfactorily” (Silva “Crop Circles”). Crop circles are very mysterious and interesting in many ways. A way this can be shown is through the first person accounts of the people who saw one being made.
Central Idea: Nuclear energy only contributes a small amount to the world’s electricity yet it has hazards and dangers that far out-way its benefits. There are many other alternative power producing sources that can produce energy more efficiently and more safely than nuclear power plants can.
Not only is nuclear power friendly to the environment, but it is almost always available, and many countries are starting to use it more. Renewable energy sources like solar and wind en...
Jeffries, M. P. (2011). The 'Path of the Earth'.
Nuclear power is the generation of electricity from an atomic reaction. (World Statistics: Nuclear Energy Around the World n.d.) Though it produces zero carbon emissions there has been a decline in support for nuclear power and increased its support for alternative energies in the pursuit for a fossil free energy sector. Factors that have resulted in the reduction of support for nuclear energy include nuclear accidents and waste and the positives of renewable energy which include clean energy, sustainable and reduced health and environmental risks.
Media coverage of such cases have made the public less comfortable with the idea of moving further towards nuclear power and they only opt for reducing human activities to reduce global warming. It is true that there have been some notable disasters involving nuclear power, but compared to other power systems, nuclear power has an impressive track record. First, it is less harmful and second, it will be able to cater for the growing world population. Nuclear power produces clean energy and it delivers it at a cost that is competitive in the energy market (Patterson). According to the US Energy Information Administration, there are currently 65 such plants in the Unite States (National Research Council). They produce 19 percent of the total US energy generation.
Therefore, the initial excitement for space-nuclear power sources was quickly ended by uncertain requirements, and the broad range of more feasible technical approaches was researched.
The use of nuclear energy has increased in the United States since 1973. Nuclear energy's share of U.S. electricity generation has grown from 4 percent in 1973 to 19 percent in 1998. This is excellent news for the environment. Nuclear energy and hydropower are the cleanest large-scale means of electricity production. Since nuclear power plants do not burn fuel, they emit no combustion byproducts—like carbon dioxide—into the atmosphere (www.nei.org). Nuclear power can come from the fission of Uranium, plutonium or thorium or the fusion of hydrogen into helium. Today uranium (U-235 and U-238) is most commonly used in the production of nuclear energy. The expa...
The nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan revealed the fragility of highly centralised energy systems that are not adapted into complex societies. Some technological solutions such as carbon dioxide capture or shale gas could even turn out to be mere illusions in the future. Meanwhile, energy costs are increasing every day, with social consequences. As a result, there have been calls for strong involvement of local authorities in formulating energy policies for cities. This will give rise to a more prominent place to decentralise policies on the basis of energy efficiency, energy savings as well the use of renewable energy. It is widely anticipated that the implementation of these policies by the relevant city authorities will play a prominent role in the transition to energy efficient cities (Energy-cities, 2011).
The energy produced from nuclear reactions is very dense, providing almost ten million times more energy per atom than fossil fuels.2 In addition, nuclear plants are cost competitive, being no more expensive than alternative sources. Although there are huge initial start up costs, the only other expenses are the costs to process nuclear fuel, safely remove and store radioactive waste and daily upkeep of the plant.2