Sould Nuclear Power be Used as the Main Source of Energy

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Should nuclear power be used as the main source of energy? This is a very controversial topic that will be discussed here. People from both sides of this issue all care about the environment, but have different opinions on nuclear energy. Before getting into the debate, it is important to know how nuclear power plants work. The nuclear reactor, which is usually twelve meters tall, is enclosed in a dome like building made up of meter thick reinforced concrete walls. Nuclear fission produces heat which is used to heat up water which then turns into steam. The steam then turns turbines that are connected to generators which in turn produce electricity. The steam then goes through a condenser where it is turned back into liquid and goes back into the reaction chamber to repeat the process. So the question that faces everyone is: should nuclear power be used as the main source of energy? Some say yes, because nuclear energy is clean energy that does not pollute the air, it is safer and cheaper than any other method; yet others say no, because the capital costs are too high, they produce nuclear waste if there is an accident, the consequences are disastrous. There are six authors that will be mentioned in this paper. Three of the authors are for nuclear energy and three of them are against nuclear energy. The first three authors that will be introduced are for nuclear energy. Naim H. Afgan is a professor at the Superior Technical Institute in Lisbon, Portugal and the Chair Holder for the Energy Sustainable Management. He is also a member of the VINCA Institute of Nuclear Science that is in Belgrade that he joined in 1957. He published over 200 papers, including his article on nuclear energy that will be used in this paper. The next au... ... middle of paper ... ...at does the world want to gain and what is it willing to give up? Works Cited Afgan, Naim H. "Sustainable Nuclear Energy Dilemma." Thermal Science 17.2 (2013): 305-321. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. Lucas, Caroline. "Why We Must Phase out Nuclear Power." Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 17 Feb. 2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. Lynas, Mark, and Peter A. Bradford. "Should the World Increase Its Reliance on Nuclear Energy?" The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 8 Oct. 2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. Moniz, Ernest J. "MIT Energy Initiative." Why We Still Need Nuclear Power. MIT.edu, 2 Nov. 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. Romm, Joe. The Self-Limiting Future of Nuclear Power. N.p.: American Progress Action, Jun. 2008. PDF. 25 Feb. 2014 "The Economics of Nuclear Power." Nuclear Power Economics. World Nuclear Association, Feb. 2014. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.

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