the return of the man who never went away
The Nuclear Debate
Sam Beattie
Fossil fuels take millions of years to form, which means they are non-renewable resources. We are using those 100 000 times faster than they are being made. When we use fossil fuels to get energy we get more than just energy. Greenhouse gases and air pollution are made too. The 3 main fuels are coal, oil and natural gas
Nuclear power uses fission to produce energy. Nuclear fusion also has potential for energy production. Around 6% of the world’s energy and 14% of the world’s electricity is produced by nuclear power. Around 30 different countries have operational nuclear reactors. The largest producers of nuclear power are the US, France and Japan.
Nuclear power stations have been making electric power for over 50 years. People understand their dangers very well so the risk of using them is less than it used to be. Nuclear stations have several advantages over other ways to make electricity: they can run at full power for many months at a time they can make enormous amounts of power from a small amount of fuel. Just one station can provide enough power for a city
Advantages-
No greenhouse gases emitted, no SO2 emitted to increase acid rain, fewer deaths and injuries in uranium mining than coal mining, fuel reserves will last longer than fossil fuels reserves, power stations have less visual impact than coal or oil fired stations or wind farms and alternative source of energy for countries with no fossil fuels or renewable energy sources
Disadvantages-
Finite probably of disastrous accident, contribution to background radiation, difficulty of disposing of spent fuel which remains radioactive for many years, capital cost of plant is greater, cost of decommissioning obsolete stations, stations slow to respond to rapid changes in demand for power (conventional stations faster), plutonium can be produced, possibly leading to proliferation of nuclear weapons
Non-renewable-
Most electricity is made from coal
Sam Beattie
Fossil fuels take millions of years to form, which means they are non-renewable resources. We are using those 100 000 times faster than they are being made. When we use fossil fuels to get energy we get more than just energy. Greenhouse gases and air pollution are made too. The 3 main fuels are coal, oil and natural gas
Nuclear power uses fission to produce energy. Nuclear fusion also has potential for energy production. Around 6% of the world’s energy and 14% of the world’s electricity is produced by nuclear power. Around 30 different countries have operational nuclear reactors. The largest producers of nuclear power are the US, France and Japan.
Nuclear power stations have been making electric power for over 50 years. People understand their dangers very well so the risk of using them is less than it used to be. Nuclear stations have several advantages over other ways to make electricity: they can run at full power for many months at a time they can make enormous amounts of power from a small amount of fuel. Just one station can provide enough power for a city
Advantages-
No greenhouse gases emitted, no SO2 emitted to increase acid rain, fewer deaths and injuries in uranium mining than coal mining, fuel reserves will last longer than fossil fuels reserves, power stations have less visual impact than coal or oil fired stations or wind farms and alternative source of energy for countries with no fossil fuels or renewable energy sources
Disadvantages-
Finite probably of disastrous accident, contribution to background radiation, difficulty of disposing of spent fuel which remains radioactive for many years, capital cost of plant is greater, cost of decommissioning obsolete stations, stations slow to respond to rapid changes in demand for power (conventional stations faster), plutonium can be produced, possibly leading to proliferation of nuclear weapons
Non-renewable-
Most electricity is made from coal