Nuclear Energy Advantages & Disadvantages

Nuclear energy is an extremely controversial topic which requires heavy weighing of both the advantages and disadvantages. There is no doubt that the potential of nuclear energy is huge but there are also heavy downsides to be considered.

Advantages:

  1. Clean Energy: Nuclear energy does not produces CO2 or other greenhouse gases during the actual making of energy in the nuclear power plant. This lack of air pollution reduces global warming.
  2. Fuel Requirement & Energy Density: A very small amount of uranium generates a massive amount of energy compared to current sources of energy. Uranium is incredibly energy dense- 1lb of uranium is equal to 3 million lbs of coal.
  3. Reliability: Unlike solar and wind power, nuclear power plants can run almost all year around (except for shutdowns for maintenance and refueling). Nuclear energy provides continuous power and does not have to rely on the climate. This allows nuclear energy to be practical virtually anywhere in the world.
  4. Minimal waste: While the waste is radioactive, it is generated in small amounts which can even be reprocessed into different sources of fuel that we can reuse for nuclear power. The waste can be minimized further into smaller pieces, which are easier to store.
  5. Fusion: Scientists are currently researching the power of fusion, which eliminates many of the current concerns that we have about environmental fission.

Disadvantages:

  1. Devastating Accidents: Despite the high level of current technology, we cannot prepare for every possibility. Accidents happen and when they do, they can be devastating. Look at Chernobyl and Fukushima- these accidents cost thousands of lives and will affect future generations of humans, plants and animals due to the health effects of radioactivity (cancer & birth defects).
  2. Radioactive waste: The waste is radioactive, which gives of dangerous radiation. It takes many hundreds to thousands of years to eliminate its radioactivity to safe levels. We have to find cost effective and viable solutions to deal with this waste in a safe manner to prevent contamination of our land and water.
  3. Terrorism: Uranium, plutonium and nuclear energy technology are all hot commodities for terrorists and military operations. There is always the possibility that the technology or fuel can be stolen and used against humanity in a terrorist or military attack. This is why the power plants and waste are heavily guarded.
  4. Expensive: There are high costs involved in mining/transporting the uranium, building/maintaining the power plants & safety containers and paying the personnel for working in the plant or guarding the material (although less expensive to maintain than fossil fuel plants).
  5. Environmental Impact: Mining and transporting uranium represents a major pollution hazard if it’s not handled properly, not to mention the possibility of contamination from improper waste disposal.
  6. Not renewable: Uranium is a not renewable resource. We will eventually run out of this fuel and will have to look for new fuel sources, new technology to reprocess old uranium or turn to new technologies all together for nuclear energy (like fusion).

Questions:

1. Complete the chart below to summarize the advantages & disadvantages of nuclear energy.

Advantages / Disadvantages

2. Although nuclear waste is radioactive, what is beneficial about it? ______

______

3. List 2 reasons that nuclear energy is preferable to fossil fuels.

  • ______
  • ______

4. List 2 ways that nuclear energy can pollute the environment.

  • ______
  • ______