Widespread use of nuclear energy will eradicate a large portion of fossil fuel use. A nuclear fission reaction produces massive quantities of power which pushes scientists to develop technology with which to harness this energy.
Nuclear power plants are amazingly efficient and produce relatively small amounts of waste. A nuclear power plant generates electricity with an efficiency rating of 80%. What this means is the amount of power generated by a nuclear power plant is equal to 80% of the power used to produce the fission reaction. When measured against the efficiency of an oil-fired plant, 38%, or a natural gas-fired plant, 56%, it is astounding, indeed. Nuclear fission produces small amounts of waste material. The controversy over the use of nuclear power stems from the conundrum of what to do with the waste produced by the nuclear power plants. The waste is in the form of radioactive gas.
After containing the gases, they must be sealed and permanently stored because the radiation in these gases remains active and deadly for thousands of years. The hazard of contained nuclear waste being released is very low. When contrasted with the volume of carbon monoxide released into the atmosphere daily by the millions of cars on the earth, this is amount seems to dwindle. Radiation is certainly more deadly than carbon monoxide, however, it is also far easier to contain and store. Nuclear power is, in fact, an environmentally friendly form of renewable energy; despite the reservations of the environmentalists. The volume of waste material is comparatively small and secure storage and technologies for the long term disposal of these wastes are being developed.
Splitting atoms releases energy in the form of heat and light. The design of nuclear power plants is such that the enormous amounts of power released is harnessed to generate electricity. The possibility of a nuclear power plant exploding like a nuclear bomb is nonexistent. This is due to the fact the specialized conditions and enriched plutonium requisite do not exist inside a nuclear power plant. Nuclear meltdown has occurred in the past, most notably the Chernobyl incident, yet the risks are also very low. Nuclear power has been in use since the 1950’s and there are more than 430 nuclear reactors in 33 around the world. When seen in the light of these facts, nuclear meltdown is, indeed, a rare occurrence. Neglect has been ascertained to be the main cause of most nuclear accidents. At this time, six states in America generate over half of their electrical energy demands through nuclear power.
Nuclear power can be a boon in the suppression of fossil fuel use; but only if we allow it to.
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