Nuclear Energy Advantages

Since the creation of electricity, people have searched for the most efficient source of energy. There are many common sources of energy, and they all have their own flaws. Many of the common energy sources are nonrenewable resources; therefore, they are not a logical source of energy for the future. Some of the energy creating processes can be very dangerous to humans and the environment. Many of these sources are not economical either. To be considered efficient, an energy source must be feasible, safe, and economical.
Coal is a commonly used source of energy. Coal is responsible for about 40 percent of the energy produced around the world. Coal is a black or brown rock made mostly of carbon from decomposed plants and animals. The coal is …show more content…
Nuclear energy is fairly easy to create because uranium, the element used in nuclear fission, is abundant in nature. It also requires a very small amount of uranium to produce a large amount of energy. “A single pellet is less than an inch long, but produces the energy equivalent to a ton of coal” (Duke Energy). Once the plant is constructed and safety measures are applied, nuclear power plants are fairly inexpensive to maintain. Though the maintenance and availability of resources make nuclear energy very appealing, there are many safety hazards. The excess material released after nuclear fission is radioactive and very dangerous to the environment and human life. The half life of this radioactive material is very long. “U­238, the most common form of uranium, has a half life of 4.5 billion years” (Union of Concerned Scientists). The half life is the amount of time required for one half of a material to decay. The process of eliminating radioactive waste takes a long time and never fully goes away. By the time the effects of the waste is negligible, the environment in the surrounding area is destroyed. In 1986, at a nuclear plant in Chernobyl, there was an explosion that released radioactive waste. The plant burned for two weeks as it continued to spew radioactive waste. To this day, the environment and people living in the surrounding area are being affected by this incident. This radioactive waste causes thyroid and many other types of cancer. It kills all types of plants and animals in the area as well. It also depletes the ozone layer in that area and harms the