The atoms, otherwise known as the building blocks of anything and everything, possess an incredible amount of energy that we are able, to an extent, harness. The splitting of an atom (uranium in particular) is known as nuclear fission, and is the current process used to create energy by heating up water in order to produce steam, which in turn spins turbines and generates electricity. This vast amount of energy produced can be used to power entire countries, and has many advantages. Nuclear energy should be more utilized because its advantages outweigh its disadvantages; it is environmentally friendly, it produces mass quantities of energy, and it is reliable and sustainable.
First and foremost, nuclear energy is much more environmentally friendly in comparison to other energy sources like coal. Global Warming, an issue gaining …show more content…
In a world where by 2050, energy needs will triple, all energy sources are needed, especially clean ones (Gale 184). A “typical nuclear power plant produces 1,000 megawatts, or 1 billion watts, of energy”, which is great for the current and upcoming energy needs (Gale 193). With over 430 commercial power plants in 31 different countries, Nuclear energy already accounts for 15% of the world’s total electricity produced (Nuclear Energy; 55 Interesting Facts About Nuclear Power). Note that this is only done with Nuclear Fission, whereas Nuclear Fusion technologies would deliver much more energy, but are yet to be developed. Now, all fuel to create energy comes with a cost, but nuclear energy is very efficient with that. The cost of nuclear fuel is 20% of the cost of energy generated, making nuclear energy profusely efficient (Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Power). In summary, not only does nuclear energy already play a large role in providing electricity for us, but it also does so in a very efficient way. Because of this, nuclear energy should be more