Nuclear
Chris
Energy 's Certain Future
When the first Atomic Bomb was created, it marked the beginning of a nuclear age. The original purpose of nuclear energy was to be used as a tool of massive destruction; as demonstrated on Japan in WWII. Once the power of nuclear energy was realized, people started to advocate for its potential for good in order to assist humanity. It was put at the top of many political agendas for an improved future. After WWII the dream for many became a reality, slowly but surely nuclear power plants started to develop around the world. Using nuclear energy as an alternate source of power seems to be promising. It affirms to provide safe, clean, and effective energy for centuries to come. I believe that nuclear energy is our best hope for replacing fossil fuels. By using nuclear energy, nothing is released into the atmosphere - no greenhouse gasses whatsoever. The giant clouds pouring out of nuclear power plants is merely steam. Also, just one pound of enriched uranium (used to make nuclear energy), could produce as much energy as one million gallons of gasoline or three million pounds of coal. Despite nuclear energy 's potential and all that it provides, many groups and organizations are skeptical and oppose its use. There are several issues which are raising concerns; although issues regarding its production of radioactive waste/how to dispose of it safely and the possibility of a meltdown are the biggest dilemmas. Material within spent fuel rods usually take thousands of years to become stable and nonradioactive. Fuel rods cannot be simply thrown away. Thus,they must be contained and stored securely for extremely long periods of time. The current solutions to containing the waste have been encasing it in giant bunkers made of steel and concrete and burying it deep under ground. If the waste is not controlled, it could come into contact with human populations and wildlife, posing an extraordinary risk to
Energy 's Certain Future
When the first Atomic Bomb was created, it marked the beginning of a nuclear age. The original purpose of nuclear energy was to be used as a tool of massive destruction; as demonstrated on Japan in WWII. Once the power of nuclear energy was realized, people started to advocate for its potential for good in order to assist humanity. It was put at the top of many political agendas for an improved future. After WWII the dream for many became a reality, slowly but surely nuclear power plants started to develop around the world. Using nuclear energy as an alternate source of power seems to be promising. It affirms to provide safe, clean, and effective energy for centuries to come. I believe that nuclear energy is our best hope for replacing fossil fuels. By using nuclear energy, nothing is released into the atmosphere - no greenhouse gasses whatsoever. The giant clouds pouring out of nuclear power plants is merely steam. Also, just one pound of enriched uranium (used to make nuclear energy), could produce as much energy as one million gallons of gasoline or three million pounds of coal. Despite nuclear energy 's potential and all that it provides, many groups and organizations are skeptical and oppose its use. There are several issues which are raising concerns; although issues regarding its production of radioactive waste/how to dispose of it safely and the possibility of a meltdown are the biggest dilemmas. Material within spent fuel rods usually take thousands of years to become stable and nonradioactive. Fuel rods cannot be simply thrown away. Thus,they must be contained and stored securely for extremely long periods of time. The current solutions to containing the waste have been encasing it in giant bunkers made of steel and concrete and burying it deep under ground. If the waste is not controlled, it could come into contact with human populations and wildlife, posing an extraordinary risk to
Cited: "Nuclear Energy." ThinkQuest. Oracle. Web. 25 Apr. 2011. . "Nuclear Power." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, 25 Apr. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. . "Nuclear Energy Institute - Nuclear Waste Disposal." Nuclear Energy Institute - Clean-Air Energy. Nuclear Energy Institute. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. "Chernobyl | Chernobyl Accident | Chernobyl Disaster." World Nuclear Association | Nuclear Power - a Sustainable Energy Resource. World Nuclear Association, Apr. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. . "Nuclear Energy | Clean Energy | US EPA." US Environmental Protection Agency. Environmental Protection Agency, 8 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2011.