ipl-logo

The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Power Production

567 Words3 Pages

As the world’s resources are consumed rapidly, energy companies look towards alternative forms of energy production. One form of controversial energy source that has been used for many years is nuclear energy. Canadians are one of the top ten countries in electricity consumption per year. We adopt lifestyles that are difficult to sustain, due to our energy inefficient devices and consumption habits. Nuclear energy is constantly promoted to be safe and economically beneficial, however, due to a negative public perception of nuclear energy and its anthropogenic risks, the development of nuclear power plants is difficult. Analysis of the risks and benefits of nuclear power production is necessary in determining the reliability and safety of the …show more content…

Radioactive material can result in burns, toxicity, increased rates of cancer, decay of the bones and diseases of the blood. Radioactivity is tasteless and odorless and encourages the change of electrical charges in the body. If exposed to enough radiation it allows cells to freely convert into cancer cells. Humans have the ability to handle a specific amount of radioactivity before deemed dangerous. A nuclear reactor releases a small amount of radioactive particles into the atmosphere during normal function. The radioactive waste that is left over from the nuclear reactor mainly comprises of workers ' clothing, tools and other clothing articles that have come in contact with the radioactive dust produced in the production process. Production involves nuclear rods and the uranium used as fuel. The uranium that is used as a fuel source also turns into a waste product after fission. The used rods and uranium pellets are highly radioactive and cannot be placed in a landfill like most waste. The radioactive material is first cooled due to its extreme heat before mixing it with glass and placed in specialized containers and put underground or above depending on the nuclear plant standards. Nuclear waste must be monitored and regulated due to its volatile behaviour, which incurs large costs. The resources to develop a functioning nuclear power plant are presently available to us, however they are an expensive investment. It is very difficult for developing countries to be able to make the plants as they take upwards of 5-10 years to build in addition to the legal formalities that must be

Show More
Related

Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Weapons Schlosser

302 Words | 2 Pages

Schlosser asserts that Iran shouldn’t be able to possess nuclear weapons due to the pervasive threat it will pose. He acknowledges that nuclear weapons haven’t been used since the World War II, which suggests that a nuclear war will never happen. In addition, Schlosser emphasizes the ubiquity of the belief that nuclear weapons serve as war deterrents between nuclear powers by quoting Kenneth Waltz. Schlosser agrees that the belief does describe recent situations but doesn’t portray the future.

Read More

Pros And Cons Of A Breeder Reactors

214 Words | 1 Pages

“What is a breeder reactor?” A breeder reactor produces more material capable of sustaining a nuclear fission chain reaction than it consumes to generate energy. Using fission, atomic nuclei split into two or more smaller nuclei. This process converts a small amount of mass into energy. A breeder reactor utilizes uranium-238 or thorium, two readily available materials.

Read More

A Modest Proposal To Reduce Nuclear Waste

305 Words | 2 Pages

Introduction Nuclear waste is produced at every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium mining and enrichment, to reactor operation and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. Much of this nuclear waste will remain hazardous for hundreds of thousands of years, leaving a poisonous legacy to future generations. The global volume of spent fuel was 220,000 tonnes in the year 2000, and is growing by approximately 10,000 tonnes annually. Despite billions of dollars of investment in various disposal options, the nuclear industry and governments have failed to come up with a feasible and sustainable solution.

Read More

Argumentative Essay-Nuclear Energy Is Australia's Future

607 Words | 3 Pages

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

Read More

Summary: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission

1110 Words | 5 Pages

The low level waste gets put into a system of containers underground where the waste will sit until non-radioactive. To get rid of high level waste you have to decontaminate it until it reaches low level of radiation. Then start the same system as the low level until the byproduct is finally at a neutral state. This system is done by the NRC and the Department of Energy. Nuclear waste has to be handled carefully or it could be harmful.

Read More

The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Fusion

945 Words | 4 Pages

The great challenges and Engineering solutions to the problems of the 21st century Title: Nuclear fusion Author: Ashley Pinto (B00078756) Date: 28-09-2012 Introduction: In this essay I hope to talk to you about nuclear fusion. I will do this by outlining a few important aspects to take into consideration when talking about nuclear fusion.

Read More

Nuclear Energy Meltdown At Three Mile Island And Chernobyl Disaster

576 Words | 3 Pages

Despite the negative publicity of incidents such as the reactor meltdown at Three Mile Island and the Chernobyl disaster, nuclear power remains a viable source of energy. Nuclear power produces large amounts of energy without damaging the environment with large amounts of carbon dioxide. In addition, nuclear power is more economical than traditional energy sources. Not only does it cost less to produce, it benefits the economy by creating new employment positions. Finally, nuclear energy results in fewer deaths each year than traditional fossil fuel sources.

Read More

Arguments Against Nuclear Energy

1955 Words | 8 Pages

The waste produced by the power plant has the ability to seek into the main water supply and the soil, evidently making the sources radioactive. Threats have also presented itself of possible attacks on a nuclear power plant. The dangerous and lethal effects that if a nuclear power plant were to have a meltdown are extreme. The radioactive material has the ability to travel and expand further than a uranium nuclear blast. The death toll will increase as radiation will travel for miles and miles reaching places that are not in near of the power plant.

Read More

Nuclear Power In Australia

291 Words | 2 Pages

Humanity needs a lot of energy. It is needed for light, heat, transport and food in everyday life. For many years, the non-renewable resources of fossil fuels such as coal and oil have been the main sources of electricity. Recently, nuclear power is seen as a potential alternative source of great amounts of energy supply. The nuclear power plants that exist today provide approximately 13.5 percent of the world’s electricity (world Nuclear Association, 2013).

Read More

The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Power Plants

504 Words | 3 Pages

In nuclear power plants there are machines called nuclear reactors. This is where elements undergo fission. In nuclear reactors, certain changes happen, and the particles that are left over from these changes are very radioactive. This causes great danger to humans because certain radiation can penetrate the skin and damage living cells, possibly causing them to become cancerous which leads to serious health problems.

Read More

Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Energy, Solar Energy And Wind Energy

1125 Words | 5 Pages

Therefore, an increasing number of countries are now developing it. However, after the two serious nuclear accidents - Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disasters, the movement of anti-nuclear is keeping on emerging around the world. More and more people know that the consequence of nuclear accidents, especially these two major accidents, are disastrous to both the environment and our health. The radioactive material is still contaminating the air, water, and finally our food today.

Read More

Persuasive Essay On Nuclear Energy

3678 Words | 15 Pages

Nuclear energy may be the solution that eliminates our concern for energy production in the future, but it still remains a huge issue for the environment. Despite its wide use in many developed countries, nuclear energy poses many threats to both the

Read More

Persuasive Speech: Nuclear Energy Vs. Solar Energy

1466 Words | 6 Pages

Probably words like radiation, mutations and Homer Simpson pop into your head. However, that is not the case. According to Mark A. Jones, Director of Nuclear Operations and Engineering at Hutchinson Island Nuclear Power Plant, during our interview stated: “Nuclear energy compared to solar energy brings less of an impact because nuclear energy doesn 't emit air pollution unlike other forms of energy. It also only needs the fraction of land the salon energy needs and self-contain its own waste from polluting the environment.”

Read More

Nuclear Power Argumentative Essay

944 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

Persuasive Speech Outline

1286 Words | 6 Pages

How Technology has changed the World I. Intro a. Over time humans have destroyed the environment with pollution and now we are creating new technologies to spot polluting our planet. b. Technology is rapidly evolving and it has changed the way people live out their lives. People have become attached to technology and it is affecting the way we live both physically and mentally.

Read More

More about The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Power Production

Related Topics

Open Document