The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Power Plants

After the discovery of the atom humans have formulated nuclear technologies to efficiently produce power. However, as with any new technology there comes the advantages and disadvantages thus leading to a never–ending debate. Nuclear power is a source of energy that is created through the fission of atoms in a nuclear plant or reactor. The nuclear energy is present within the nucleus of the atom and when radioactive atoms are split in nuclear fission processes or combined during fusion then the energy is released as heat to the surrounding areas. This involves the use of radioactive atoms/radioisotopes that when broken down or combined emit radiation to surrounding areas, this is known as radioactivity. Nuclear technology has a variety of uses, one

However one of the biggest issues pertaining nuclear power is the chance of a nuclear accident in which large amounts of radiation is leaked to a wide area. Although rare, many people fear the chance of a nuclear accident due to uncontrolled chain reactions and thus they oppose the idea of nuclear power plants. At first when nuclear power plants were built humans liked the idea but after the first nuclear accident/meltdown in Chernobyl, 1986, people began to oppose and protest against the use of nuclear power. A meltdown is when the fission reactions in the nuclear power plant go out of control due to uncontrolled chain reactions which need to be controlled by a moderator. A nuclear accident leads to the exposure of harmful radiation to thousands of people, creating detrimental effects on the body’s physiological and psychological state. Also such technology is being used to create nuclear weapons which can then be placed in the wrong hands and create chaos and mass murder. Thus, the use of uranium as a source of electricity is being debated in the media as a controversial