The Future Industry in Energy: Dropping the Concept of Nuclear Energy
At the start of the mid 1950’s, the world was introduced to a new, alternative source of power that would revolutionize the energy industry; this power became known as nuclear energy. Since that time, nuclear energy seemed to pave the way in efficiency and supply power to countless cities around the globe. However, the past has shown that there are many major disadvantages to using nuclear energy. Today, many individuals believe that nuclear power plants are hurtful to the Earth and urge America and various other countries to use “green energy” instead and help preserve Mother Nature. Numerous individuals and groups from around the world are currently creating new ways to keep both the Earth clean and the energy, efficient. The world should use clean, renewable energy, instead of using nuclear energy because nuclear energy is non-renewable energy and therefore a form of unsustainable energy, there is no place to get rid the waste and after product, and if an accident were to ever occur, it would greatly affect and alter the United States. History has shown that nuclear energy is not a feasible way to reach equilibrium of sustainable energy and that there are only a few benefits of using it. Renewable energy is on track to become the dominant source of power, leaving nuclear energy with the possibility of facing extinction. There are many reasons why nuclear energy is depleting; mostly because the main element that makes it all possible...is running out.
The entire system of nuclear energy revolves around one major element: Uranium. A nonrenewable resource, Uranium is estimated to only be available for the next 30 to 60 years. Turning to a new fossil fuel is a ve...
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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.
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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...
On and off, could it be that simple? Energy is there whenever we need it, so we think. It’s not as simple as turning the light switch, replacing light bulbs, and paying the electric bills. Our energy today is made mostly from coal, natural gas, oil, wind, solar, and nuclear. With depleting natural resources, we must begin to consider what will power our future. Although there are many challenges yet to be encountered and technology yet to be discovered, many say nuclear energy is becoming a major part of our future. However, nuclear meltdowns and disasters have many people and scientists questioning the possibility of having a nuclear powered world. What are the concerns and positive aspects of nuclear energy today? Could nuclear energy become a part of our future energy source?
The world is facing an energy crisis and many are unaware of this growing problem. Sustainability is avoiding depletion of our natural resources in order to provide for future generations, and the only way to ensure that resources are available into the future is to find alternative sources to meet the world’s energy needs. Nuclear energy is just one source of alternative energy being implemented today in an effort to support the needs of the population and mitigate global climate change. Nuclear energy holds the necessary benefits in order to continue being used globally as an alternative solution.
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The future of the United States solar energy industry will be shaped not only by economic growth, but also by the rate of declining oil resources and the global realization of the consequences of human induced climate change. Political responses to this realization in the United States include; new policies, legislature, and tax incentives to both businesses and private households to promote growth and investment in the solar power industry.
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...
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When picking an energy resource for the topic of this paper, I bounced around a lot of ideas. Then it occurred to me that I should write about what I will be living with in about a month. My mom just finished designing and building our earthbag, solar, off-grid house, a four-year endeavor. I will soon live in a place powered by one of the most common alternative energy resources, solar energy, so I should learn more about it. At our new house, we have two stand alone pedestals with six 170W panels on each pedestal, making for a 2040W or 2kW solar system.
I am certain that all have heard of the terms greenhouse gases, fossil fuels, and global warming. Have you ever questioned what will happen if nothing is done about the environmental problems facing the world today? What if I answer you that, we can merely use the power from the sun to power up our entire planet without the use of harmful energy sources, which affect our atmosphere? The power from the sun is what we call solar power. Solar power is the energy that comes from the sun as light and heat energy, and then it is later converted into electrical energy through solar panels (Nelson, 2008).
"Top 6 Things You Didn't Know About Solar Energy." Energy.gov. United States Department of Energy, 22 July 2012. Web. 23 May 2014.
As one of the greatest alternatives to fossil fuels, an important advantage of nuclear energy is the significantly lower emission rate of CO2 in comparison to plants which use coal and natural gas.2 Nuclear power is not reliant on fossil fuels and therefore producing energy by this method reduces pollution and the contribution to climate change. However, whilst the actual process of generating energy releases few emissions, uranium must be mined and purified and in the past this has not always been an environmentally clean process.2 Ultimately, uranium will one day run out, but nuclear reactors are versatile and may also run on Thorium. Despite being finite, this would allow nuclear power stations to function for a longer period of time.
The world that we live into today affords us the expectation that the flip a switch will turn the lights on. As populations increase and developing nations undergo dramatic economic growth, this energy demand will only continue to grow. The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that “the world’s energy needs could be 50% higher in 2030 than they are today” (ElBaradei). Given this projected growth, it is necessary for world leaders must take action to secure the energy supply. Meaning that world leaders need to start seriously considering an alternative to non-renewable energy sources. “In 2012, the United States generated about 4,054 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. About 68% of the electricity generated was from fossil fuel (coal, natural gas, and petroleum), with 37% attributed from coal” (U.S. Energy Information Administration). The fossil fuels that are used to supply over half of our country’s energy are in finite supply and are increasing in price to astronomical heights.