Position Statement-The Use of Nuclear Energy

773 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Nuclear power safe easy

Despite the fact the countries continue to increase the production of nuclear energy, my position is that new nuclear power plants should not continue to be built. The current use of nuclear power should be carefully evaluated with a plan to slowly decrease production throughout the world. The negative implications to the environment and economy support my position. The production of nuclear energy is not as safe and clean as some say that it is. The Oxford Research Group released a report providing evidence that supports this point. It is clear that nuclear power plants do not produce a lot of carbon dioxide when they operate, but it is the mining of uranium and the storing of waste that produces the carbon dioxide pollution. This way of producing power is not as friendly to the environment as once thought. The report states that over time more carbon dioxide will be produced because more equipment and energy will be needed to extract uranium ore and store the waste. It is estimated by 2070 uranium nuclear power would produce as much carbon dioxide as a gas fired power station. If the use of nuclear power continues to increase this number would increase as well having a significant impact on global warming and the environment (Herbst). There is additional evidence of negative environmental impact with the use of nuclear energy. There is a risk of water contamination with radioactive material from nuclear power plants. The leaking of material has been reported to occur at over a dozen nuclear plants in the U.S. This has contaminated various water sources, including ground water, rivers and streams (examiner.com). In 2011 when an earthquake occurred in Taiwan and generated a tsunami that struck a nuclear power pl... ... middle of paper ... .../More-bad-news-for-the-Pacific-Taiwanese- NPP-leaking-radioactive-water.html Accessed: 11/20/13 Moira, Herbst. New Debate Over Nuclear Option. March 26, 2007. http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-03-26/new-debate-over-nuclear-optionbusinessweek- business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice Accessed: 11/20/13 NEA. Broad Impacts of Nuclear Power. November 9, 1993. http://www.oecd-org/brief/brief-09.html Accessed: 11/20/13 7 Reasons Why Nuclear Power is Bad for the Environment and the Nation. December 11, 2009. http://www.examinar.com/article/ Accessed: 11/20/13 Three Mile Island Accident. March, 2001. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-of-Plants/Three-Mile-Island-accident/ Accessed: 11/20/13 Nuclear Waste http://library.thinkquest.org/3471/radiation_effects_body.html Accessed: 11/21/13

Show More
Related

  • Argumentative Essay: 11 Facts About Nuclear Energy

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the many benefits of Nuclear energy is that it is completely emission free, in fact, more than 70% of the clean energy produced in the United States comes from nuclear (“11 Facts about Nuclear Energy”) With those lack of emissions we will see a reduction in the

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Nuclear Power

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nuclear power has no place in having a safe, clean, sustainable future. Today, the manufacturing of nuclear power plants has become a critical topic throughout the world that many strongly believe should be stopped. Nuclear Power is not safe anywhere in the world nor is it environmentally friendly. Nuclear power plants are truly something that could cause mass destruction in the world and has the potential to wipe out a whole country with ease. Despite proponents’ that claim that nuclear power is safe, there is a history that proves otherwise and marks a number of disasters caused by nuclear power plants.

    Read More

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

    1650 Words  | 4 Pages

    (Action): If we don’t do our part to stop the expansion of nuclear power plants, the future of our planet will be bleaker. Every year, thousands of more pounds of nuclear waste will be buried underground and the damage to our environment increases. There are more efficient energy sources other than nuclear power and we must do our part today to prevent a catastrophic future for our children. The dangers that nuclear power plants pose for the United States are very real. There are many alternative renewable sources of energy available to us such as wind and solar power, which provide a much safer and efficient alternative to nuclear power. You alone have the power to speak up and act against the expansion of this dangerous energy. The future of our environment’s safety and our nation’s energy supply lies in your hands.

    Read More

  • Future of Nuclear Energy in America

    4380 Words  | 9 Pages

    Nuclear Energy has many proponents and much opposition. Many of the groups that oppose nuclear power have legitimate concerns, mainly with the dangers of nuclear material in relation with human health concerns and environmental troubles that are risked by allowing nuclear power plants to increase in number. Yet, many of these opposition groups have made outspoken and radical claims about the “hidden” motives of why nuclear power is promoted and subsidized by our federal government. For example, The Nuclear Information and Resource Service claim that the federal government has the intention of committing genocide against Native Americans because uranium mining is predominantly done on reservations. Another cry out by nuclear power opponents is the constant reliving of the few nuclear mishaps that occurred decades ago, at Chernobyl or Three Mile Island. No doubt, past accidents have happened worldwide and are important reminders to not play around with nuclear material, but technology has improved as well, a fact opponents fail to consider. Many of these organizations feel that other sources should be used to supply America’s energy needs. These types of statements tag many opponents to nuclear energy as misinformed, out of touch with scientific facts, or just closed minded to the whole concept of nuclear power. On the other hand, the proponents of nuclear energy like President Bush see it as cheap, and environmentally friendly. As a result, President Bush passed the Comprehensive Energy Bill in 2005 that would increase production of all types of energy, including nuclear, by giving subsidies and tax breaks to nuclear power producers. Keeping safe America’s capabilities for generating electric power by way of nuclear e...

    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

  • Sould Nuclear Power be Used as the Main Source of Energy

    1615 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lynas, Mark, and Peter A. Bradford. "Should the World Increase Its Reliance on Nuclear Energy?" The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 8 Oct. 2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Energy

    769 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nuclear energy is energy produced in a nuclear reaction. This reaction can be naturally produced or can be artificially made. Both fission and fusion are examples of nuclear energy.

    Read More

  • Nuclear Waste Essay

    1237 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...sh community, decreased biomass, and an altered balance between producers and consumers (para. 1). According to Lapp (1971), temperature changes in the water from the thermal pollution (taking cool water from bodies of water and replacing it with warm water following the cooling process in nuclear plants) can change the activities of species, for example the Bluefin crab, which could have detrimental effects on the whole ecosystem. However, an advantage of nuclear power to the environment is that nuclear waste is carefully disposed of and designed to stay away from the air humans breathe, the water humans drink, and the food humans eat (Morris, 1999, p. 36). On the other hand, this is not true for fossil fuels which pollute the air and water. Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear waste does not produce harmful air pollutants such as ash, sulfur dioxide, and greenhouse gases.

    Read More

  • Nuclear Energy Essay

    2004 Words  | 5 Pages

    On and off, could it be that simple? Energy is there whenever we need it, so we think. It’s not as simple as turning the light switch, replacing light bulbs, and paying the electric bills. Our energy today is made mostly from coal, natural gas, oil, wind, solar, and nuclear. With depleting natural resources, we must begin to consider what will power our future. Although there are many challenges yet to be encountered and technology yet to be discovered, many say nuclear energy is becoming a major part of our future. However, nuclear meltdowns and disasters have many people and scientists questioning the possibility of having a nuclear powered world. What are the concerns and positive aspects of nuclear energy today? Could nuclear energy become a part of our future energy source?

    Read More

  • Nuclear Energy as an Alternative for Fossil Fuels

    2825 Words  | 6 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Nuclear Essay

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nuclear energy has been proven to have negative effects on the health of nearby residents. The radiation produced by nuclear power plants has been known to increase nearby inhabitants’ chances of developing breast cancer and childhood leukemia. “According to the energy Justice Network, 268 countries within 50 miles of nuclear reactors had breast cancer death rates 10 times the national average” (www.discovery.com). Alternative energy sources such as solar power, wind power, and hydroelectric energy produce enough energy to sustain America’s needs without the harmful radiation by-product.

    Read More

  • Atomic Bomb Argumentative Essay

    1259 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout history we have seen a few nuclear disasters in both war and peace;¬¬ all of which have had a lasting impact on the societies near them. The largest nuclear power accident of all has been the one that occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986, but there have been many accidents that have occurred across the globe like the Mayak Plant Accident in 1957, the Three-Mile-Island Accident in 1979 and the Fukushima Daiichi Power Station Accident in 2011. Although these nuclear accidents are uncommon, their effects can be felt for many lifetimes, which is why nuclear power plants should be constructed further from human population centers. Nuclear power has been a touchy subject for many years. Ever since the bombing of Hiroshima and the later bombing of Nagasaki, people have yet to place their full confidence in nuclear energy because of the death toll it has the possibility of claiming if a critical failure or malfunction would occur.

    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

  • The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Power

    274 Words  | 1 Pages

    Nuclear Power, The generation of power using highly radiated uranium pellets in fuel rods used to heat up water and run turbines. This is why Congressman Bill Nelson should not support the building of a new nuclear power plant in the state of Florida.

    Read More

  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy

    1323 Words  | 3 Pages

    The greatest disadvantages of nuclear energy are the risks posed to mankind and the environment by radioactive materials. ‘On average a nuclear plant annually generates 20 metric tons of used nuclear fuel cla...

    Read More

More about Position Statement-The Use of Nuclear Energy

Open Document