De-carbonise the Economy
Carbon is the building blocks of our world, found in plants, animals, the ocean, the atmosphere and the earth’s crust. When plants and animals die they decompose into the earth and turn into coal, which we then dig up and burn. As the coal burns it boils water, which turns the turbine and energy is created. This is how the majority of all factories work because for so long it has been the only way. Over the past 2 centuries humans have increased the atmospheric level of carbon by 30% as they cut down forests and burn trees in an attempt to become more industrialised and create more power (Our Universe Visualised, 2009). As more greenhouse gases, like carbon, are used they join the gases in the atmosphere surrounding …show more content…
The waste produced by nuclear power plants is hazardous and needs to be disposed of properly, otherwise it will leak radiations for hundreds of years (Conserve Energy Future, 2015). The waste contains isotopes that then go on to stay in the atmosphere. These isotopes contaminate water and the earth. A by-product included in the waste is plutonium. The waste is normally buried under sand, however plutonium is a key ingredient to making nuclear weapons. Plutonium is dangerous if released into nature as well (Conserve Energy Future, 2015).
The risks associated with nuclear accidents are high. Small radiation leaks can cause devastating effects, ranging from nausea to diarrhoea to fatigue. Larger radiation leaks can cause seizures; kill people, due to the destruction of small blood vessels and nerves; destroy the thyroid, and effect the digestion of food; and reduce the amount of lymphocyte in the blood, weakening the immune system (atomicarchive.com, 2015). People who work at the plants and live nearby have a high risk of facing nuclear radiations. If a radiation does occur it is not just an immediate impact. Decades after the incident there could still be complications regarding to the affected people and their children (Conserve Energy Future, …show more content…
Nuclear energy complies with the Clean Air Act of 1970, meaning it does not increase the amount of pollution released into the environment (Nuclear Energy Institute, 2015). However, Uranium mining is very similarly to regular mining, which requires fuel and releases carbon emissions, and the construction of a Nuclear Power Plant is the same as every other factory or industrial building, producing a lot of carbon emissions (World Nuclear Association, 2014). Both of these defeat the original purpose of nuclear energy, which was to reduce carbon emissions and dependence on carbon-based
Carbon is the building blocks of our world, found in plants, animals, the ocean, the atmosphere and the earth’s crust. When plants and animals die they decompose into the earth and turn into coal, which we then dig up and burn. As the coal burns it boils water, which turns the turbine and energy is created. This is how the majority of all factories work because for so long it has been the only way. Over the past 2 centuries humans have increased the atmospheric level of carbon by 30% as they cut down forests and burn trees in an attempt to become more industrialised and create more power (Our Universe Visualised, 2009). As more greenhouse gases, like carbon, are used they join the gases in the atmosphere surrounding …show more content…
The waste produced by nuclear power plants is hazardous and needs to be disposed of properly, otherwise it will leak radiations for hundreds of years (Conserve Energy Future, 2015). The waste contains isotopes that then go on to stay in the atmosphere. These isotopes contaminate water and the earth. A by-product included in the waste is plutonium. The waste is normally buried under sand, however plutonium is a key ingredient to making nuclear weapons. Plutonium is dangerous if released into nature as well (Conserve Energy Future, 2015).
The risks associated with nuclear accidents are high. Small radiation leaks can cause devastating effects, ranging from nausea to diarrhoea to fatigue. Larger radiation leaks can cause seizures; kill people, due to the destruction of small blood vessels and nerves; destroy the thyroid, and effect the digestion of food; and reduce the amount of lymphocyte in the blood, weakening the immune system (atomicarchive.com, 2015). People who work at the plants and live nearby have a high risk of facing nuclear radiations. If a radiation does occur it is not just an immediate impact. Decades after the incident there could still be complications regarding to the affected people and their children (Conserve Energy Future, …show more content…
Nuclear energy complies with the Clean Air Act of 1970, meaning it does not increase the amount of pollution released into the environment (Nuclear Energy Institute, 2015). However, Uranium mining is very similarly to regular mining, which requires fuel and releases carbon emissions, and the construction of a Nuclear Power Plant is the same as every other factory or industrial building, producing a lot of carbon emissions (World Nuclear Association, 2014). Both of these defeat the original purpose of nuclear energy, which was to reduce carbon emissions and dependence on carbon-based