Nuclear Energy as an Alternative for Fossil Fuels

The need for nuclear energy is more widespread today than it has been for decades. Drastic climate change and the rising prices of fossil fuels such as oil have made many scientists seek an alternative energy source. Although nuclear energy has been around for decades, the use of it has always been approached by pessimism. Because, the misuse of nuclear energy could spell disaster for any country involved in the process. Events like Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Japan’s Fukushima accident are reminders of how nuclear energy can go wrong. However, the continued use of fossils fuels can spell disaster for the international and domestic security of any country that is dependent on the energy source. Fossil fuel is a limited resource, meaning that the continued use of this energy source can run out one day and this could mean disaster to any country dependent on fossil fuels. Therefore, the continued use of such an energy source could spell disaster for a country's domestic and international security in the future. An alternative energy source is needed in order to control the world's consumption of fossil fuels, nuclear energy is that energy source. Although nuclear energy has been establish as a feasible energy source, it has not yet caught on due to certain nuclear events. Events like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island reinforce the belief of nuclear energy as a dangerous risk. But, we can see France as a perfect example of using nuclear energy without any nuclear disasters. Nuclear energy can be the energy source we need to be free from fossil fuels, and benefits outweigh the cons of nuclear energy.

Despite the benefits of nuclear energy, another form of energy has been the status quo for decades. This form of energy is hidden...

... middle of paper ...

... Burns, Alexander DeConde, and Fredrik Logevall. 2nd ed. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. 1-20. U.S. History in Context. Web. 18 May 2014.

Safeguards to Prevent Nuclear Proliferation. World Nuclear Association, Sept. 2013. Web. 11 May 2014. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Non-Proliferation/Safeguards-to-Prevent-Nuclear-Proliferation/

Wald, Matthew L. Energy Department Recommends Yucca Mountain for Nuclear Waste Burial. The New York Times, n.d. Web. 18 May 2014. .

What is the role of coal in the United States?. U.S Energy Information Administration, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 11 May 2014. .