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The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Power

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Lastly, nuclear power is a very viable source of alternative energy because it’s much more affordable then fossil fuels. A big problem with power in our time is that it is very expensive. With nuclear power we can get more energy out of fewer materials which will in turn save money. Douglas Gregory states, “One uranium fuel pellet – typically measuring about 0.3-inch diameter by 0.5-inch long—can produce the equivalent energy of 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, 1,780 pounds of coal, or 149 gallons of oil.” (The Use of Nuclear Power Should Be Increased). If all you need Is such a small amount of uranium then depending on how much you have it will last a long time. “the actual recoverable uranium supply is likely to be enough to last several hundred (up to 1,000) years, even using standard reactors. With breeders (advanced fast reactors), it is essentially infinite.” (Nuclear Energy Has Been Used for Decades). With the use of nuclear power the United States could decrease its imports significantly. “Today, the USA burns about 1 billion tons of coal per year in power plants. Using 1 billion tons of coal to produce synthetic fuel would replace 65 percent of America's imported oil. (At 12 million imported barrels per day, 65 percent is 7,800,000 barrels …show more content…

After the nukes were dropped on Japan during WWII, “Rough estimates of the radiation doses received by those who died of radiation exposure were made, and analyzed. It was discovered that doses in excess of 100 REM [unit of absorption of ionizing radiation] (Rads) inflicted over relatively short periods of time caused about a tenth of a percent [0.1%] of those exposed to die of a variety of radiation-related reasons, including cancer.” (Minimal Exposure to Radiation Poses No Safety Risk). However after the Three Mile Island incident a research paper was published by a Professor T.D. Luckey. To this Leslie Corrice had to

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The word “pilgrim” defined states that it is a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons. In the book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard, the creek is the author’s home, her sacred place, and she represents the pilgrim. Throughout the book she journals the individual discoveries she makes about creation and nature fills the chapters like the four seasons fill a year. A theme of seeing and questioning God’s love for creation is repetitive throughout Dillard’s writing; with the help of allegories and symbolism enhances the theme. Programmed like a robot children are prone to ask questions about the creation around them; similarly Dillard replicates the astonishment of a child with a symbol of pennies.

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Facts, data, expert opinion: a) Low Pollution such as air pollution, water pollution - Nuclear power also has a lot fewer greenhouse emissions. It has been determined that the amount of greenhouse gases have decreased by almost half because of the prevalence in the utilization of nuclear power. Nuclear energy has the least effect on nature since it doesn’t discharge any gasses like methane and carbon dioxide b) Low Operating Costs - The cost of the uranium, which is utilized as a fuel in this process, is low. Also, even though the expense of setting up nuclear power plants is moderately high, the expense of running them is quite low. The normal life of nuclear reactor is anywhere from 40-60 years, depending on how often it is used and how it is being

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Over 20 percent of the energy in the United States comes from nuclear energy power plants. (Rinkesh, 2018) They so their best to get as much energy to the country as possible, but there are those out there who don’t agree with them. While there are downsides to nuclear energy, the pros vastly outweigh the cons. Nuclear power plants are a great way to get energy because they don’t let out much pollution, are very efficient, and are very safe.

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In the denouement, this group wholeheartedly believes that nuclear power plants are our future. Again, nuclear plants are more efficient than any other fossil fuel such as oil, coal and natural gas. They are also more reliable. Nuclear energy has no emissions and a cost that is better for the consumer.

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The second most common energy source in US is nuclear power, after fossil fuels. What is nuclear power? Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy to generate heat which is used mostly in steam turbines to give us energy in a nuclear power plant. About 10% of US's electricity comes from nuclear power, but in some countries, like Germany, closed down all their nuclear power plants because people didn’t like the idea of it. But the real problem is that if the nuclear power runs well, it is very safe.

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Nuclear energy is the energy released during nuclear fission or fusion, especially when used to generate electricity. In order for humans to obtain this energy, they must build nuclear power plants. These plants are very costly: “Life cycle costs for nuclear power generation (in the USA) have been estimated at 12 cents a kilowatt hour, whereas life cycle costs for wind power in the same analysis is estimated at 4 cents a kilowatt hour” (Olson 2). Not only do nuclear power plants cost a lot of money to make and run, they also take up a lot of space.

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They are rare but when they do happen things get out of hand fast. They could also be a prime target for a terrorist attack. Destroying or damaging the control center could leave the population in danger of radiation. The places in which the uranium ore is mined are Canada, Australia, Niger, and Kazakhstan. The ways that they extract the uranium ore from earths crust are the following: surface, or sub-surface.

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Nuclear power plants operate at about 91% capacity, compared to natural gas at 50.3% capacity, coal at 58.9% capacity, and wind at 32.2% capacity (Nuclear Energy Institute, July 2014). The capacity efficiency value is calculated as the actual energy output divided by the theoretical energy output. Using Uranium as fuel is better than using coal as fuel. One fuel pellet of Uranium is equal in energy to one ton of coal (Nuclear Energy Institute, 2014 July). Nuclear energy is a clean-air energy, which means that it doesn’t produce any greenhouse gases.

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Nuclear power is a bad idea because it is not environmentally safe. These nuclear power plants are also a lot more expensive, there are cheaper ways. Nuclear power could cause a massive amount of deaths if not done right or under control. One reason is the Nuclear power activities that are involving the environment; mining, enrichment and generation.

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The usage of nuclear power plants make for cheap electricity. The uranium used to generate the electricity, along with running costs of the power plant, make up a relatively small amount of money required. Not to mention, the supplies for uranium are in abundance and need little to produce energy. The nuclear reactions release million times more energy than that of conventional means. Uranium reserves are predicted to last over 100 years in contrast to other natural gases, like coal or oil, that are expected to be depleted in a matter of decades.

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It creates millions of job opportunities all over the country, even the world. In addition to the employment, in America’s case, it can be a completely domestic process, as uranium can be mined in the united states, then processed, and used in reactors across the country. This eliminates money lost to imports and helps business within our country. The fuel prices remain relatively stable according to the attached document and this also makes nuclear power idea. With a steady fuel price, the cost of power for residents and business remains stable as well.

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At the present time, nuclear power is the cleanest energy source compared to coal, oil, and natural gas. To be sure, Nuclear power is a power that does not emit greenhouse gases, which destroy the atmosphere. Notably, It is important to notice that if handled in the proper way, nuclear power can be a reliable, low polluting source of energy that is worthier than the leading fuels. Further more, the cost of constructing nuclear plants is staggering, A point to remember is that the cost of uranium is considerably low being compared to other fuels that are in account.

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Within the past few years, nuclear power has presented itself as an ideal power source: clean, safe, and incredibly efficient. It’s because of this that nuclear energy proves that it is ultimately the best current alternative to fossil fuels.

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Nuclear energy is one of the several alternative energy sources that have been introduced ever since. Nuclear energy’s various advantages entice many countries to start practicing it. One must consider the amount of energy generated by nuclear fuels, as they are highly-concentrated energy sources. Small uranium pellets, which are the most common form of fuel in generating nuclear energy, can generate as much electricity as a trainload full of coal does. In addition, nuclear power plants do not produce green house gases as byproducts.

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One cannot deny that some nuclear waste is produced and that it is radioactive. However, according to the World Nuclear Association in many countries, nuclear waste accounts for just 1% of all toxic wastes. This means that only a small amount of waste is produced and it would be easy to contain. Furthermore, the BBC states that you are able to reprocess nuclear waste and reuse up to 97% of it. This means that waste can be reduced even further and that that supplies of Uranium can be sustained for longer.

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