Nuclear Power Argumentative Essay

Nuclear energy has the potential to be the most deadly killer our world has ever seen, but if used properly, our nation can benefit greatly from it. The idea of harnessing the power of nuclear reactions has been around for many years, however, the United States has not seemed to capitalize on its usefulness yet. There are currently only 62 active nuclear power plants with 100 reactors in 31 states. These reactors only provide about 20 percent of all energy used in the United States (“How Many Nuclear Power”). If it is used properly, nuclear energy could possibly be America’s savior when it comes to our energy crisis. Most of the research for nuclear technology took place between the years 1895 to 1945. Nuclear fission, the type of reaction used in all reactors today, was discovered in 1938. Once nuclear fission was introduced, people started to realize how useful this technology could be, and unfortunately at first it was used for bad. From 1939 to 1945, most research was dedicated to the atomic bomb. It was soon noticed that nuclear warfare was not the way to go with nuclear energy. In 1945 …show more content…
Nuclear energy creates a lot more power than natural gas or coal does. A single pound of reactor-grade uranium oxide produces as much electricity as over 16,000 pounds of coal; enough to meet the needs of the average American home for more than a year (Davis, “Prospects for Nuclear Power”). Therefore nuclear energy is extremely efficient when compared to other sources of energy. Nuclear energy also greatly benefits our nation’s military. The United States Navy uses nuclear reactors to power their submarines and aircraft carriers. The reactors produce the vessel’s electricity, heat, fresh water, and propulsion. This allows them to stay out at sea for longer periods of time. The Navy has been using nuclear energy for a long time now, and has the best safety record (Conca, “America's