Nuclear Power Pros and Cons

Nuclear Power

Nuclear Power Pros and Cons

Summarize the pros and cons of nuclear power generation.

Pros-

Pollution- Nuclear power plants emit very low levels of carbon dioxide compared to fossil fuels. The levels of greenhouse gases emitted are extremely low so the effect on global warming is minimal.

Availability- Uranium is readily available throughout the world so power plants will not be affected by international relations.

Production- More energy is produced with one ton of uranium than several million tons of coal or oil.

Precautions- 10,000-50,000 Americans are killed by coal induced respiratory diseases each year while 300 are killed while mining. No Americans have been killed due to nuclear power plants or radiation. As long as people take precautions, nuclear power can be very safe. Other countries and places have had problems with this, which makes the safety a con as well.

Cons-

Waste- Nuclear waste is extremely harmful if exposed to it and is a critical question that remains about nuclear power generation. The United States Environmental Protection Agency says that nuclear waste has to be looked after for over 10,000 years.

High Risk- While nuclear power plant security is very strong, there is always the risk of devastation. Humans and nature alike would be affected if an accident were to occur. The probablitiy of a meltdown or accident occuring increases with the number of plants produced.

Nuclear Weapons- Radioactive waste can be used to create nuclear bombs, a fear of all mankind.

Availability and Time- Nuclear energy is not a renewable resource so therefore it will run out eventually. It also takes 20-30 years to plan and build new power plants, which leads to the question, is it worth the effort?

https://members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/procon.htm

-Site summarizing the pros and cons of nuclear power generation

http://timeforchange.org/pros-and-cons-of-nuclear-power-and-sustainability

-Site summarizing the pros and cons of nuclear power generation

Both good sites