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Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Fission

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What is the one thing that is growing higher and higher in demand as our world’s population continues to grow? Clean, renewable, and cheap energy is the answer. Thus many countries are turning to nuclear energy for a temporary fix. Nuclear energy is energy that is released when a nuclear reaction occurs. There are advantages and disadvantages to converting this type of energy to electrical energy, but that does not stop it from being a growing trend in the energy community. There are two ways to convert this energy into electrical energy that we have found: fission and fusion. Nuclear fusion and fission are the two ways that scientist have found to release nuclear energy. Nuclear fission is the process that is currently used in nuclear power …show more content…

”High-level waste includes the fuel that was used in the nuclear reactor, called "spent fuel." It is highly radioactive and very dangerous. It must be cooled for several years in deep pools inside the plant, after which it can be transferred to special casks, which are like big, concrete barrels. Some of the fission products in the spent fuel will take many years to lose their radioactivity. A special disposal site is needed for this type of waste.” If not properly disposed of, the waste could release large amounts of harmful radiation into the environment for years. The cost of the plants can also be very high.” The first generation of nuclear power plants proved so costly to build that half of them were abandoned during construction. Those that were completed saw huge cost overruns, which were passed on to utility customers in the form of rate increases. By 1985, Forbes had labeled U.S. nuclear power "the largest managerial disaster in business history.” The industry has failed to prove that things will be different this time around: soaring, uncertain costs continue to plague nuclear power in the 21st century. Between 2002 and 2008, for example, cost estimates for new nuclear plant construction rose from between $2 billion and $4 billion per unit to $9 billion per unit, according to a 2009 UCS report, while experience with new construction in Europe has seen costs

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