There has never been another energy source as controversial, and polarizing as nuclear power. Ever since it was developed, and implemented to generate power for cities across the world the debate over whether or not it should be used raged on. Supporters of nuclear power see it as the solution to reducing the pollutants released into the air and slowing the rate of climate change. Critics of nuclear power such as, Michael Totty, a news editor for the Wall Street Journal argue that, “exorbitant costs, the risks of an accident, or terrorist attack, the threat of proliferation and the challenge of disposing of nuclear waste,” are all problems that can occur if the use of nuclear power is expanded in the United States and in the rest of the world. …show more content…
A coal plant that produces 1 million kilowatt hours of electricity would release 996 metric tons of carbon dioxide while a nuclear power plant does not release any carbon dioxide (Ervin 17). To put that number in perspective the coal plant would release 2.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide just to generate the same amount of electricity as a nuclear power plant. According to Dr. Elizabeth Ervin, a civil engineer, it has been estimated that nuclear power plants have reduced worldwide carbon dioxide emissions by two billion metric tons per year. Nuclear power is not only cleaner then fossil fuel plants it is also the best alternative to burning fossil fuels, than other clean energy sources such as solar, wind, or hydroelectricity because it already produces 70.9 percent of the total amount of emission free energy generated in the United States. Nuclear power can produce energy constantly and is not dependent on the weather, unlike solar power, wind power and hydroelectricity. Nuclear power plants also have a smaller impact on the environment than these renewable energy sources. For example, 236 square miles of land would need to be cleared to build a wind farm that would generate the same amount of energy as a one thousand megawatt nuclear power plant. The dams used to generate hydroelectricity may have an even larger impact than any other emission free energy source. Dams could flood some areas while leaving other areas dry and effect the habitats of countless organisms. It is clear that the only logical choice is to expand the use of nuclear power and replace burning fossil