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The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Power

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Thesis: Nuclear power is good. //will change

Non renewable energy sources such as coal produce many harmful byproducts. Coal powered energy pollutes the atmosphere with many harmful byproducts. Releasing harmful substances such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide all negatively impact health. These byproducts from burning coal are linked to many diseases such as respiratory diseases, cancer, heart disease, and many more. Furthermore, “air pollution from coal plants is responsible for up to 200,000 premature deaths per year and $50 billion in annual healthcare costs”. Also, the pollutants that burning coal produces speeds up climate change. “Coal is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming”
Climate change results from increased c02 emissions from coal fired electricity. Climate change is no myth that it is happening today and will continue to be increasingly more of a problem later on if not dealt with properly. “The majority of climate scientists -- 97% -- agree that climate change is real and human …show more content…

Power is reduced during overcast days and is unable to produce power at night. The only way solar is able to output the maximum power its was designed for is if the day is completely clear. Additionally, both wind and solar are far more expensive in the long run with the lower amount of power they output compared to the high construction cost. Solar costs between 150-300 $/MWh, Wind both onshore and offshore cost 35-95 $/MWh. While nuclear power is far cheaper only costing 21-35 $/MWh (Smith). Additionally, nuclear reactors are not geographically constrained unlike solar and wind which need specific locations in order to operate at their maximum efficiency. Modern reactors need a constant supply of fresh water to keep them cool. Anywhere there is a large supply of water opens up the ability for someone to put a nuclear reactor in that

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Nuclear power produces fewer carbon emissions than traditional energy sources because energy is not produced by burning molecules but splitting atoms. ‘An energy mix including nuclear power has the lowest impact on wildlife and Ecosystems’ as shown by a Conservation Biology paper. Consequently, greenhouse gas emissions have reduced by nearly half which shows the benefits and popularity of nuclear power use. Nuclear power has many environmental benefits such as small waste production, leaves no adverse effect on water, land or any habitats. By reducing fossil fuel consumption and switching to Nuclear Energy, we will sustain the environment, quality of air, improving the overall quality of

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The first advantage of using nuclear power to produce our electricity is that it costs only 1.92 cents per kilowatt hour to produce electricity from nuclear power. Furthermore, nuclear power is a more efficient source of energy than other sources such as coal or natural gas (Figure 5). The two biggest advantages in terms of the wellbeing of planet earth of using nuclear power are that it creates very little to no greenhouse gases, such as CO2, and also it does not use our non-renewable resources. A typical nuclear reactor utilizes uranium-235 as its source of energy, but unfortunately, uranium-235 only makes up 0.72% of all of the uranium on earth. With that being said, the fact that nuclear power does not use un-renewable resources might be being questioned at the moment, but the truth is that even though uranium-235 is a non-renewable resource, a new form of reactor called a breeder reactor, makes this a harmless process in regard to our valuable resources.

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Ariana: Finding an area fit to build a nuclear power plant takes some steps, starting with finding a state where nuclear power plants aren’t banned and maybe one where taxpayers might help out with the bill. For example, some states that don’t have power plants banned are California, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second step to finding a fit area is to look at topography. All nuclear reactors in the U.S. require

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There are different types of reactors such as the Light-Water Reactor, Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors, Gas-cooled Reactors and many more. Nuclear power is generally designed as a base-load plant[2], they operate with high capacity factors. This electricity generation technology is not available to every country because not everyone can afford the nuclear plant and that is one of the disadvantages of the nuclear power plant. It can also be dangerous in the environment if used incorrectly, therefore, it is built far from where people live. Coal-Fired Power Coal-fired power plant converts the chemical energy that is embedded in coal into heat.

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In a nuclear power plant, the water in the reactor serves as a coolant for radioactive material. That way it will prevent it from overheating and melting. It produces electricity by boiling water into stream. It also uses uranium fuel. The process called fission for nuclear energy splits atoms of uranium in the reactor.

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Although there may be consequences, a power plant should be built because it will be beneficial to the residents. A Nuclear Plant will be efficacious to the residents in many ways. Living in a time that illnesses occur rapidly. A nuclear plant radiation will prevent illnesses from spreading.

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A nuclear power station turns the nuclear energy in uranium atoms into electrical energy that can be used in homes and businesses. Nuclear power stations require a significant investment to construct, but they have relatively low running costs over a long operational life make them one of the most cost-effective low-carbon technologies. Nuclear power has one of the smallest carbon footprints of any energy source. The vast majority of carbon dioxide emissions associated with nuclear power stations arise during construction and fuel processing, not during electricity generation. There are currently 99 commercial nuclear reactors in operation in the United States.

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  The radiation leak can do damage to the environment and the people living nearby. Abolishing the necessity for power plants would alleviate potential catastrophes.     Nuclear power plant’s radioactive gases can cause numerous fatalities and damage to surrounding

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Nuclear power plants provide cheap, clean, and efficient energy and new technology might soon overcome the current drawbacks. Disasters like the ones at Chernobyl and Fukushima have long given nuclear energy an ill-deserved reputation. It produces no greenhouse gases and only trace amounts of radiation at a comparable price to coal power. However, the large initial cost and the potential for meltdowns has prevented nuclear energy from growing to supply a significant portion of the world’s electricity. Safety features on current nuclear reactors make a nuclear disaster highly unlikely, but technological advances could soon negate those risks completely.

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Most nations will use nuclear power stations because they generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant. Nuclear power stations do not require a lot of space so they do not need a large area of land like a wind farm. But they have to be built near a large body of water so that they can use the water as a heat sink. This is convenient because you do not need nuclear power station in or near large cities or towns which is safer for everyone nearby. Nuclear energy is the most concentrated form of energy, which means that a lot of energy is produced from a small amount of fuel.

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Many negative and impacts come with having a nuclear power plant. These impacts and dangers include nuclear radiation accidents, radioactive waste, requires high cost to the government, leads to the death of aquatic life, severe impact and effects on humans, not a renewable energy source, has a high national risk and fuel available to use at the nuclear

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Through every thing that has been said and un said of nuclear power plants. There just is not a place in the todays world for them. Maybe some day in the distant future technology will be advanced enough to make nuclear power safe and viable. However, todays society nuclear power plants are not a smart decision and should be left alone due to the effects they have on the human body and the nature around them. Information from Eugene Robinson has even shown that nuclear power plants are very dangerous to humans and cause long lasting problems that cause generation after generation problems to their bodies and the land around them.

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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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In fact, nuclear power plants are responsible for more than 16% of all of the world’s electricity production. ( Research Paper 1) What makes nuclear power popular is its financial efficiency and environmental friendliness. This means it is

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To begin with, nuclear energy has several major advantages. A large amount of energy can be produced with only a tiny amount of energy input to the power generator. The maintenance cost is low also. Therefore, it is a cost-effective energy source comparable to fossil fuel. Moreover, unlike fossil fuel, it will not cause serious air pollution.

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