Preview

Pros and Cons of Nuclear Energy

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
680 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Pros and Cons of Nuclear Energy
Pros and Cons of Nuclear Energy

Debates and controversial issues are what keep countries all over the world connected. Ideas that were argued upon one hundred years ago are still argued upon today. One of these ideas is nuclear energy- should we or should we not use it at such a rate? Before an opinion can be reached, you must first weigh the pros and cons of this topic. Nuclear energy can be environmentally unsafe and can also be threatening, but at the same time it can benefit the progress and development of the world.

The used of nuclear energy in the world today has many negative effects and attributes. First of all, the use of nuclear energy affects crops and food. It limits the crops farmers can give to companies because the crops can be turned into a form of energy called ethanol, which can be produced with corn and sometimes sugarcane (The Seven Myths of Energy Independence). This means that the more ethanol produced, the less food can be sold to citizens, which will increase the prices of them. Also, farmers will start growing more crops for this reason therefore causing environmental problems such as oceanic dead zones and pesticide-infected groundwater (ibid). It is also environmentally unfriendly in the sense that in order to make some gasses, coal must be burnt, therefore releasing dangerous CO? gasses into the air (ibid). Not only is it environmentally unsafe, but it can also pose a threat to enemy countries, as what happened in the Cold War and Nuclear Arms Race (Nuclear Weapon). In the Cold War, Soviets placed nuclear weapons in Cuba, making it easier for them to attack when/if needed (ibid). The thought of the Soviet Union being able to wipe out an entire region of the United States at any given time is certainly a negative effect of nuclear power.

Although nuclear energy and power poses environmental and political threats, there are many very powerful positives in use of such a thing. Without the use of nuclear energy, our society

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    As a society grows and develops, there are many issues the people must face during the process. One of the most important problems modern civilizations must solve is where and how they get their energy. In our day and age, we rely heavily on fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil. Patrick Moore, a writer for the Washington Post, composes an argument for nuclear power and recommends that it should be the future for all things energy. Moore’s argument is a convincing article that would most likely pull many neutral readers to see his side very clearly. The article gives all the pros to the uses of nuclear energy, and does an excellent job of addressing all possible counter-arguments.…

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many people around the world ask themselves what are the disadvantages of adopting an alternative solution to solve the consumption of global nuclear energy? Based on what we have experienced through events with major disasters and the aftermath of many casualties, it has summed up to result in having failures outgrowing expectations. Therefore, global nuclear power usage is to be opposed due to the fact that it comes with high financial costs, nuclear waste management complications, and the fact that thousands in populations are mass numbers of casualties.…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Humans have always tried to find innovative, powerful and valid energy sources in order to be able to supply the several needs of modern societies. In this sense, nuclear power is considered one of the most controversial technologies related to the new millennium.…

    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    labouring the Walmart way

    • 394 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Today nuclear power as an efficient and low consumption energy has been used widely, however, nuclear energy has potential and serious problems which people can not control.…

    • 394 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Nuclear energy leads to an unsafe, unstable and unclean environment. The producing of nuclear energy can lead to both good and bad things, but two thing that come with producing nuclear energy are the high dangers and expenses. Many risks and high dangers of producing nuclear energy are any where from health issues to major meltdowns of nuclear plants. Expenses of nuclear energy plants are very expensive to build and to sustain them through the years. Renewable energy is a safer option for the environment and the economy, with no chances of major melt downs and expenses.…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Nuclear Power Greenpeace argues that there is nothing ‘peaceful’ about the nuclear industry. It is harmful to the environment as well as all living creatures. The Nuclear Age began in 1945 and ever since Greenpeace began, they have been trying to fight it. There has been much progress made. In 2000 nuclear powerful was discredited during the UN Climate Change talks. In 2001 the UN Sustainability Development Conference declared nuclear as an unsustainable technology.…

    • 151 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fission and Fusion

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Article 2: “Should the world increase its reliance on nuclear energy?” The beginning of this article gives brief examples of the pros and cons of nuclear reactors from both sides. Opponents cite the case of the recent Japanese power plant disaster and dangers of Iran’s formation of nuclear power. Proponents argue that the backlash is overblown. They say how there have been no measured effects of human…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Many professors, scientists, researchers, and even governments, have been debating over the issue on the use of nuclear power as a main energy source. In Taking Sides, two authors who are highly narrow-minded state their debates on this critical issue. Allison MacFarlane, author of “Nuclear Power: Panacea for Future Energy Needs?”, believes that nuclear power should be revived. She argues that nuclear power will provide sufficient energy, while at the same time reducing carbon dioxide emissions. On the other hand, professor Kristin Shrader-Frechette, author of “Five Myths About Nuclear Energy”, argues that nuclear power is too expensive and unsafe for the environment, when there are renewable energy sources that are better for the environment and economy. I agree with Shrader-Frechette because she proves the five myths about nuclear energy wrong using extremely valid arguments, which exist to prove that nuclear power is not the best option for an energy source in our society.…

    • 1389 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nuclear power can be beneficial or not depends on how people use it. Nuclear power can be a solution for the energy crisis. Moreover, the use of nuclear power wisely with full responsibility can increase the prosperity and standard of living. Government has to create opened relationship with citizen about the using of nuclear power. We have to remember that each of accident radiation happen because of human errors so that it needs controlling tightly.…

    • 607 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Final Critical Assignment

    • 1161 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The main issue of the article is whether or not we should increasingly rely on nuclear power and make it our No1 source of energy given endless concerns about its safety and expensive cost. Undoubtedly, in a world of increasing population, diminishing natural resources and worsening climate change, nuclear energy is considered the key future energy resolution. In favor of greater reliance on nuclear energy, Mark Lynas – a climate-science author strongly brought in the reasons of: 1st, nuclear power avoiding climate change while fossil fuels have failed to do so and green energy capability is still being questioned; 2nd, opponents overstating danger even after many reactors has been safety improved; 3rd, the cost is acceptable comparing to other renewables energy. In contrast, Peter A.Bradford – former commissioner of the U.S.Nulear Regulatory Commission insisted in the alternatives, arguing that nuclear power is too costly to be pursued, not to mention its danger and potential severe impacts on people’s health. Obviously, the need of understanding the issue from comprehensive perspectives with substantial data support is essential to weigh the risks and benefits of each opinion.…

    • 1161 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Furthermore, nuclear power is too expensive. For instance “Many supporters and critics say nuclear power biggest impediment is economic.”(8,8) Even people who agree with nuclear power agree that the cost is too high the amount of workers and materials that will be needed and how long the process is too much money for the economy. Like this quote states “But in reality is wasting yet more time and money pursuing the nuclear nightmare would be, too expensive, too risky.…

    • 79 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The good things about nuclear energy start with the environmental benefits. If done right, nuclear power will emit less than one one-hundredth of the green house gasses than coal or gas power. Coal and oil plants emit large amounts of CO2, which is proven to cause global warming, while nuclear energy creates no CO2 emissions. Compared to coal, natural gas, wind, and solar power, nuclear energy per kWh (kilowatt-hour) is the cheapest to produce. Although the running cost of nuclear power plants is already low, we are striving to lower the cost further by using new technology and by trying to better understand how nuclear energy works.…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nuclear Power Institute. (n.d.). Nuclear Energy is one of the most efficient sources of energy, Retrieved from:…

    • 589 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nuclear Power is reliable yet controversial source of energy in the U.S. Many people have different viewpoints on Nuclear energy. Although nuclear energy can cause many problems such as nuclear accidents, it saves money, produces less pollution, and it can be made in any environment. The benefits of nuclear energy outweigh the risks. Without nuclear energy we would be relying on the weather for energy.…

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the world, countries are leaning towards nuclear energy due to the amount of energy it can produce with very little resources. This topic is worth investigating since energy is basically a must, now in the 21st century. It is now considered an essential to have energy in our lives to maintain our standards of living. We have gone to many different sources of energy other than nuclear energy such as coal, solar, wind, oil and more, but many of those energy source have flaws too. Some sources of energy will reach the peak of their production due to resources and will eventually fall, others pollute the environment just like nuclear energy and some just don’t produce enough energy for us to fully rely on them. Many countries needed a new source of energy since…

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays