Nuclear Energy Essay

715 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Increase in oil prices essay

Nuclear energy is produced from the splitting of millions of uranium atoms in a very interesting process called fission. This type of process is used in big power plants where there are numerous tools and machinery that help produce the energy. From generators to pumps to turbines and transformers there are up to 12 main components that all come and work together to create high amounts of electricity. The fission process is used to produce a lot of heat and steam from the reactor where uranium rods are placed. That very hot steam then travels to big turbines and spins them through the generator to generate and produce high amounts of electricity. The electricity then travels to transformers and from there it travels through land wires that run hundreds of miles into cities and towns (World Nuclear Association [WNA], 2014). Our world today is growing every day every year and there will be a time where more and more energy will be needed to sustain human life. The demand for electricity and its value is increasing rapidly and will only continue to do so. The world will need greatly increased energy supply in the next 20 years, especially clean generated electricity [WNA, 2014]. Fourteen percent of the world’s electricity comes from nuclear energy to use. The use and demand for electricity will increase in 2030 by eighty one percent. Therefore, nuclear power plants need to rise to fulfill the demands and needs for the growth of the population. Since the demand for electricity is increasing and with many resources to get electricity from, the use of nuclear energy without constant support will probably decline to around 9 percent or less by 2035. At least two factors will make this quite difficult for nuclear energy to gain a bigger m... ... middle of paper ... ...ved from electricity consumers in which we pay a tenth of a penny for every kilowatt-hour of electricity we use from nuclear power plants. This money cannot be used because there is no waste management program. All this hidden waste was to be removed in 1998 but the government failed to do so. This resulted in about two billion dollars in court awarded damage settlements that was being paid from the taxpayer judgment. Nuclear energy will always be a source for electricity. It has its pros and its cons but nuclear energy is reliable and it will always be available for developing nations. It takes time for countries to build power plants because it isn’t cheap. Also because of high radiation levels, people will always need to be careful when working around uranium because it can cause cancer. Power plants and nuclear energy will always be in use all over the world.

Show More
Related

  • The Pros And Cons Of Fukushima Nuclear Power

    1379 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nuclear Power comes from the process of splitting Uranium Atoms (also called fission), which in turn releases copious amounts of energy in the form of heat. When the atoms are arranged in a reactor, the splitting of an atom will cause nearby atoms to split, forming a chain reaction. As the energy is released, it is sent through coolant tanks full of water, which is then heated into steam. The steam is channeled and used to spin a turbine, which in turn powers a generator,

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay: 11 Facts About Nuclear Energy

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many sources of energy today, and the best source of it is constantly being sought after, one source stands out above the rest. Nuclear energy is simple in theory, yet it may be one of the most controversial sources of power. Nuclear energy works using reactors built to split the atoms (nuclear fission) of the fuel to produce heat. This heat evaporates the cooling agent (usually water) into steam which turns turbines to create electricity. Nuclear energy should be allowed, because it produces an abundance of electricity, as well as being a clean source of energy with no harmful emissions. Nuclear energy is the future of clean, environmentally friendly energy.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Speech: We Must Use Alternative Power Sources Instead of Nuclear Energy

    1650 Words  | 4 Pages

    Central Idea: Nuclear energy only contributes a small amount to the world’s electricity yet it has hazards and dangers that far out-way its benefits. There are many other alternative power producing sources that can produce energy more efficiently and more safely than nuclear power plants can.

    Read More

  • Nuclear Technology After the World War II

    953 Words  | 2 Pages

    After the United States developed the atomic at the end of World War II, interest in nuclear technology increased exponentially. People soon realized that nuclear technology could be used for electricity, as another alternative to fossil fuels. Today, nuclear power has its place in the world, but there is still a lot of controversy over the use of nuclear energy. Things such as the containment of radiation and few nuclear power plant accidents have given nuclear power a bad image. However, nuclear power is a reliable source of energy because it has no carbon emissions, energy is available at any time, little fuel is needed for a lot of energy, and as time goes on, it is becoming safer and safer.

    Read More

  • Debating Environmental Ethics: A Future Perspective

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although nuclear energy may emit less carbon dioxide as compared to oil or gas, it is nowhere near the alternative energy source we need. A Huffington Post article showed that water shortages, exacerbated by global climate change, minimizes the ability for expansion of nuclear power plants. As the generators require large amounts of water to keep them cool, they must be built on large water sources, mostly rivers and lakes. This reliance on water severely limits the places the nuclear power plants could be built, which makes nuclear an unreliable resource to replace oil and gas in the future as it could not meet all our energy needs. Furthermore, in 2009, France was forced to shut down many of their power plants due to the unseasonably warm summer it had, most likely caused by climate change. As our Earth continues to heat up and more places experience drought, nuclear energy is less and less reliable due to the reliance on cold water. Additionally, runoff from the water flows into nearby water sources, causing thermal pollution to the animals and ecological consequences. Coupled with the fact that we still have no idea how to properly dispose of the waste material left behind from nuclear reactions, nuclear power is not the alternative energy that solves major world problems. This hurts future generations, as we will not only create yet another reliance on an energy source that harms the planet, but divert attention away from truly solving the issue on hand. A Bloomberg New Energy Finance report from early June projects that as early as 2028, solar energy can replace the oil and gas sector demands. The cost of projection would also decrease for both solar and wind energy by 66-71% within the next ten years as well. Solar and wind have considerably less risks to the environment and, regarding these as more possible

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Nuclear Power

    1966 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Where does our power come from?”, when asked, many people would not know the answer to this question. Some might say wind, water, or solar, but the main provider of America’s power are coal plants and nuclear reactors running to keep the lights on. Unfortunately, there is no free energy, it comes with a cost to the environment and its inhabitants. So when the choice arises to change the way humanity looks at our consumption of power, why chose the way we do things. Because the time has come for us as a country and the world to make the switch from the old to the new. We need to switch to nuclear power instead of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Nuclear energy is a clean way to create electricity vesus other ways that produce the same amount

    Read More

  • Nuclear Power Essay

    1281 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nuclear power is a growing source of energy to most of the world for many benefits. People doubt the significant of nuclear power because of one accident. Due to this accident, the world has only seen the flaws in nuclear power and not the many benefits it has to offer. Nuclear power would benefit worldwide if people would let go of the past and look towards the future. Nuclear power is a better alternative energy because of its economic and environmental benefits.

    Read More

  • Nuclear Waste Essay

    1237 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since the dawn of civilization, all living (and some non-living) things have needed energy. When humans discovered fire, the first form of harnessed energy, it made it easier to stay warm, prepare food, make weapons, etc. Since then, humankind has been inventing new ways to harness energy and use it to our advantage. Now-a-days, people in most nations depend extremely heavily on fossil fuels – to work, travel, regulate temperature of homes, produce food, clothing, and furniture, as well as other power industries. Not only are these fossil fuels dominating our society and creating economic vulnerability, but they also produce waste that causes a number of social and environmental concerns. The waste from these fuels leads to acid rain, smog, and climate change. It also releases sulfur dioxide as well as other air pollutants that are very harmful to the human respiratory system (Morris, 1999, p. ix). There are other alternative sustainable energy sources including solar, hydroelectric, wind, and biomass. However, the main source aside from fossil fuel is nuclear energy from controlled nuclear reactions (where nuclei of radioisotopes become stable or nonradioactive by undergoing changes) in a nuclear power plant. Nuclear power produces enormous amounts of energy to serve a community. Unfortunately, nuclear energy has its own set of problems – a big one being its waste. The spent fuel from nuclear plants is radioactive. This means that it emits radiation, or penetrating rays and particles emitted by a radioactive source. Ionizing radiation is known to cause cancer, and therefore makes anyone who lives near spent nuclear waste facilities vulnerable to this incurable disease. The disposal of nuclear waste is a global issue...

    Read More

  • Persuasive Speech On Nuclear Energy

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nuclear energy is a very powerful source of energy. Just a little bit is required to make large amounts of electricity, which powers 1 in 5 households in the U.S. Nuclear energy has been advanced over the years and has been relied on heavily by many countries today.

    Read More

  • Compare and Contrast of Nuclear Energy and Alternative Energy

    1351 Words  | 3 Pages

    To begin, nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission, which is the splitting of an atom to start a chain reaction (“11 Facts”). This chain reaction produces massive amounts of heat. Nuclear reactors take advantage of this heat by pumping water into the reactor, which in turn produces steam. The steam then becomes pressurized through a pipeline and exits into a turbine (“How do Nuclear”). The pressurized steam causes the turbine blades to spin, producing power which is linked to a generator for use in the main power lines. When the steam passes the turbine blades, it goes past cooled pipes and condensates (“How do Nuclear”). After the condensation process is finished and the steam reverts back to water, it is pumped into the reactor again, thus completing the process of producing nuclear-based power.

    Read More

  • Knowledge Gained from Destruction

    1556 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nuclear energy has is an overall success and continues to be because it is a reliable, efficient energy source that produces minimal pollution. Although it is a efficient energy source, it is also a massive destructive force that has been used in the past and can be used in the future if not properly defended against. America today can learn from instances in the 20th century such as the atomic bomb drops, exploration of fusion reactions, the knowledge gained from the three mile island accident, and from espionage. Nuclear technology is basically that manipulation of atoms in their current state. Usually radioactive elements such as high-grade plutonium or uranium are used in order to create a massive radioactive reaction that have the potential to obliterate any object in its way leaving a lasting negative effect on the environment. Nuclear energy was mainly researched for the atomic bomb droppings that occurred in 1945 as a result of Japanese oppression during World War II. The science of atomic manipulation, atomic radiation, nuclear fission and nuclear fusion was first developed in 1895. Research began to significantly speed up when the government took a large interest in the destructive force that nuclear weapons had the potential to hold. The only reason that the world ever had the experience of nuclear energy was because of World War II and oppression. Nuclear Energy came with a price of thousands of lives, that were not rightfully taken, but without those lives lost, our world would be different today, and we continue to learn from the mistakes and from the successes that we have had with nuclear technology.

    Read More

  • Positive Effects of Nuclear Power

    938 Words  | 2 Pages

    The use of nuclear energy has increased in the United States since 1973. Nuclear energy's share of U.S. electricity generation has grown from 4 percent in 1973 to 19 percent in 1998. This is excellent news for the environment. Nuclear energy and hydropower are the cleanest large-scale means of electricity production. Since nuclear power plants do not burn fuel, they emit no combustion byproducts—like carbon dioxide—into the atmosphere (www.nei.org). Nuclear power can come from the fission of Uranium, plutonium or thorium or the fusion of hydrogen into helium. Today uranium (U-235 and U-238) is most commonly used in the production of nuclear energy. The expa...

    Read More

  • Chernobyl Informative Speech

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    Okay let's start out with the basics of how a nuclear power works. You have a nuclear reactor, tubes that carry superheated radioactive

    Read More

  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy

    1323 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nuclear energy is generated by a process called fission. Fission occurs within the reactor of a nuclear power plant when a neutron is fired at an atom of uranium causing it to split and release subsequent neutrons.1 These are able to crash into other uranium atoms causing a chain reaction and releasing a great deal of heat energy.

    Read More

  • The Impact of Nuclear Power

    1546 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nuclear power, the use of exothermic nuclear processes to produce an enormous amount of electricity and heat for domestic, medical, military and industrial purposes i.e. “By the end of 2012 2346.3 kilowatt hours (KWh) of electricity was generated by nuclear reactors around the world” (International atomic energy agency Vienna, 2013, p.13). However, with that been said it is evident that the process of generating electricity from a nuclear reactor has numerous health and environmental safety issues.

    Read More

More about Nuclear Energy Essay

Open Document