Nuclear energy is produced by nuclear fusion which consists of splitting an atom in two, which creates a mass that then turns into a large sum of energy. The reaction is controlled and the energy is harnessed. In the United States alone, there are around 61 nuclear power plants, and in total they produce 20% of our electricity.
There have been numerous of points about nuclear energy that have been weighed and discussed over the years. Whether or not nuclear power plants are indeed safe, the costs that go into building these plants, or how renewable the resources to maintaining such a high amount of energy are. But the one viewpoint where people tend to disagree about the most is clear: the environment. Environmental aspects that revolve around …show more content…
Due to this, the United States focuses mainly on three sources of energy, all of which are nonrenewable. Three consist of burning fossil fuels, coal power, and nuclear power. Of the three, nuclear power dispenses the least amount of carbon dioxide. When explaining why people are backing up the idea of expanding the amount of nuclear power plants in the United States, botanist Peter H. Raven wrote in his textbook Environment, “The combustion of coal, an extremely dirty fuel to generate electricity is responsible for more than one-third of the air pollution in the United States” …show more content…
Today, creating nuclear energy is far more expensive than coal, hydropower and gas. Dave Lochbaum of Union of Concerned Scientists stated, “Between 2002 and 2008, cost estimates for new nuclear plant construction rose from between $2 billion and $4 billion per unit to $9 billion per unit” (Lochbaum). Because of its high building costs, plans to build new power plants are deserted frequently. Power plants plans in both Florida and Georgia were abandoned once residents complained about high costs and unknown risks. There is also the case of abandoned power plants that have run their time and are no longer in use. Those can not be torn down due to the fact that over sixty years of use has exposed it to radiation. A variety of options are available for what to do with a plant once it is out of service. The main three being covering every inch of the plant in concrete, using it for storage and immediately taking it apart upon notice. All three are not only dangerous due to potential leak, but it can also result in a colossal waste of space and
There have been numerous of points about nuclear energy that have been weighed and discussed over the years. Whether or not nuclear power plants are indeed safe, the costs that go into building these plants, or how renewable the resources to maintaining such a high amount of energy are. But the one viewpoint where people tend to disagree about the most is clear: the environment. Environmental aspects that revolve around …show more content…
Due to this, the United States focuses mainly on three sources of energy, all of which are nonrenewable. Three consist of burning fossil fuels, coal power, and nuclear power. Of the three, nuclear power dispenses the least amount of carbon dioxide. When explaining why people are backing up the idea of expanding the amount of nuclear power plants in the United States, botanist Peter H. Raven wrote in his textbook Environment, “The combustion of coal, an extremely dirty fuel to generate electricity is responsible for more than one-third of the air pollution in the United States” …show more content…
Today, creating nuclear energy is far more expensive than coal, hydropower and gas. Dave Lochbaum of Union of Concerned Scientists stated, “Between 2002 and 2008, cost estimates for new nuclear plant construction rose from between $2 billion and $4 billion per unit to $9 billion per unit” (Lochbaum). Because of its high building costs, plans to build new power plants are deserted frequently. Power plants plans in both Florida and Georgia were abandoned once residents complained about high costs and unknown risks. There is also the case of abandoned power plants that have run their time and are no longer in use. Those can not be torn down due to the fact that over sixty years of use has exposed it to radiation. A variety of options are available for what to do with a plant once it is out of service. The main three being covering every inch of the plant in concrete, using it for storage and immediately taking it apart upon notice. All three are not only dangerous due to potential leak, but it can also result in a colossal waste of space and