Argumentative Essay On Nuclear Energy

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Recommended: Conclusion for advantages and disadvantages if nuclear energy

Gray Livingston Anderson AP Language 17 December 2013 Beware Godzilla For almost one hundred years, nuclear energy has powered the world with little to no consequences. These consequences though, can be monumental. Nuclear energy is the costliest power system to start up, and due to its strict safety procedures, it is very expensive to keep reactors in safe operating condition. (Buzz) This potential danger has been the death of millions of people over the century, with the single most deadly being the Chernobyl incident of 1986. Nuclear energy may have its good side, but with its high cost, potential for catastrophe, and its impractical waste, it is not good for any type of consistent energy production. The average nuclear plant costs between twelve and eighteen billion dollars to build. This monstrous amount of money is spent mainly on the plants safety features. (Fears) Any type of energy that has to spend that type of money just to make it safe should send up a red flag. This excessive spending is no good on a struggling economy, like that of the United States, and the potential for saving money will not come until much later. (Fears) Other types of renewable resources are expensive to install, but they start saving money immediately. Uranium, the fuel of nuclear energy, is not cheap to extract. Nuclear energy may be considered a “clean” energy source, but uranium puts a damper on that. Uranium is not a renewable resource like wind and solar energy, and, “…are expensive to mine, refine, and transport, and produce considerable environmental waste (including greenhouse gasses) during all of these processes.” (Fear) Most all things nuclear energy does to benefit the world have some thing to contradict them. Even mining it ha... ... middle of paper ... ...e not enough, these plants are ideal targets for terrorist organizations. Their waste is costly to deal with and impractical, it destroys the environment near it with its radioactivity. Costs to start a new plant keep nuclear energy out of practical use, as well as its insanely expensive maintenance cost. Now is the time to act against nuclear power, not because humans are a people scared of change, but because they are a people afraid of Godzilla. Works Cited "Backgrounder on Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident." Nrc.gov. United States Nuclear Regulatory Condition, 20 June 2013. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. Buzz, Presidio. "Nuclear Energy: Pros and Cons." Triplepundit,com. Triple Pundit, 23 Feb. 2009. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. Fears, M. "7 Reasons Why Nuclear Power Is Bad for the Environment and the Nation." Examiner.com. Examiner, 11 Dec. 2009. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.

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