Nuclear Power 3 Essay, Research Paper

Across the world, the demand for electricity is rising, requiring a method be found to satisfy it. Energy conservation techniques will not be sufficient to keep demand down. Another method, building new power plants, will soon need to be implemented. Some of these needed power plants will create pollution which can damage the environment; the only way to minimize the pollution is to choose the right power plant. Conventional power sources, such as coal, are known for the pollution they create. Newly available sources, like solar power, are currently not feasible to completely supply the new demand. Nuclear power seems like the only practical alternative; however, there is much argument over safety issues and the question of what to do about nuclear waste. Nuclear power is a highly controversial topic. It has its advantages and disadvantages, and unless a more viable alternative is discovered, it may never be resolved. The demand for power has been increasing for some time, evidenced by the fact that electricity sales increased 32% from 1982 to 1992 (Bayne 48). Demand continues to grow, and will increase an estimated 4 fold in 50 years according to the Electric Power Research Institute (Reynolds 6). These increases come from two sources: more uses for electricity and more users. In the residential area, electricity use increased 65% from 1973 to 1992. The increase comes from the use of new electric appliances, such as VCR’s and microwaves, and an increase in electricity users of 41% over the same time period. In the commercial sector, electricity use increased 97%, almost doubled, over the 1973 to 1992 time period while users increased by 45%. Part of the great increase in commercial electricity use is in industry, where electric processes are replacing fossil-fueled processes. One instance of this is the steel mill. Old steel mills use a coal-powered blast furnace, and are now being replaced with electric steel mills. The advantages of using electricity over coal make electricity an attractive option. For example, electric steel mills produce 2 pounds less carbon dioxide per pound of steel manufactured compared to coal powered mills. The electric mills also use 70% less total energy than coal mills to perform the same task. Electric manufacturing processes, in general, are more energy efficient, produce less pollution, and are easier to control then their fossil-fuel counterparts. Also, electric manufacturing improves productivity and product quality (Bayne 48). These benefits ensure that the use of electric manufacturing will continue to grow, increasing industry’s dependence on electricity. Because of the increased need for electricity, we have looked for more efficient and environmentally safe ways to produce power. Nuclear power seems like a good alternative. Nuclear power plants do not pollute. They produce no greenhouse gasses, like carbon dioxide, and no gasses that produce acid rain. This means less stress on our lungs and cleaner skies (”Nuclear”). Every time we build a coal plant instead of a nuclear plant, we are condemning 1,000 people to a premature death due to increased air pollution. (Rombough) Nuclear power is also very efficient. It takes up to 45 tons of coal to produce the same amount of electricity as can be fulfilled by one kilogram of uranium fuel (”Uranium”). The construction and usage of nuclear power plants have cut the use of oil for electricity by 1000 barrels per day (”Nuclear”). Nuclear power, in fact is the only viable source of power for prolonged space exploration. In a spaceship, satellite, or space station, ways need to be found to store large quantities of energy in a small area. The most workable solution at the moment is nuclear power. One kilogram of nuclear fuel inside of a nuclear reactor can contain up to 10 million times the amount of energy in one kilogram of chemicals (Ruzic). Along with the benefits of nuclear power come some of the fears and problems that come with it. Though there have been almost no accidents and many affirm that “nuclear energy is the cleanest, safest form of energy we have ever had” (Rombough), a lot of people feel that nuclear power plants are unreliable and even dangerous. Among some of the fears are of increased cancer rates within areas where there are power plants and of the production of nuclear clouds clouds which raid down not acid rain, but radiated rain (”Nuclear”). Another major concern is the dilemma of nuclear waste. Nuclear power creates large amounts of radioactive isotopes, which are now called nuclear waste (Caldicott). These isotopes are invisible, tasteless, and odorless. One such isotope is strontium 90. It is a very strong carcinogen, causing bone cancer and/or leukemia and most likely breast cancer. It concentrates in the food chain and human muscle, remaining radioactive for 600 years. Another result of nuclear energy operation is cesium 137. It also remains radioactive for 600 years and can bring about rare muscle cancers. Lastly is the isotope plutonium, which is “so carcinogenic that, hypothetically, one pound evenly distributed could cause cancer in every person on Earth.” The radioactive life of plutonium is about half a million years. It is predicted that by the year 2000, nuclear power will have generated 1,139 tons of plutonium, nuclear weapons contributing to 250 tons (Caldicott). The only solution to the problem of nuclear waste so far has been to store the waste in concrete bunkers underground. The only problem with this is that nuclear waste has such a long life span that by the time it is ready to decompose, almost 65% of the bunkers will have broken or sprung a leak 1000 years before the decomposition date (”Nuclear”). Unless a new, efficient, and environmentally safe alternative is found, nuclear power will remain a controversial issue for a long time to come. A practical solution to the United States’ power needs is severely required. An answer to this crisis will benefit all of its citizens. Electricity allows U.S. citizens to have the standard of living they do by powering appliances in the home and machinery in the work place. If severe shortages of power become a reality, the standard of living will suffer. Appliances in the home will not operate without power. Industries will not be able to produce as much, reducing their profits and adversely affecting jobs. Nuclear power seems to be the most efficient choice, yet many are apprehensive about the dangers and problems. While nuclear power has its disadvantages, such as the problem of radioactive waste, methods have been developed to minimize these drawbacks. If these problems can be overcome, then nuclear power s ability to cause less damage to the environment than coal, coupled with the demand that will make nuclear plants economical, can make nuclear power a viable source of electricity for the future.

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