Topic > Nuclear Energy: Increased Energy Production and Consequences of Use

At the end of the 16th century, Londoners faced a shortage of firewood, which forced them to switch to using coal. However, Elizabethton preachers strongly opposed coal, delaying a timely solution to the energy shortage. The world today faces a similar problem, as there is a shortage of energy sources and environmentalists condemn the use of nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is a clean way to produce energy and therefore nuclear energy production should be increased. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Today, nuclear energy makes up 19.7% of U.S. energy sources. As this percentage continues to increase, it is important to understand the process of nuclear fission. In this process, atoms split to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. The arrangement of particles in uranium-235 is somewhat unstable, and the nucleus breaks into smaller pieces when it absorbs an additional neutron. Nuclear fission occurs inside the reactor of a nuclear power plant, and the core of the reactor contains uranium-based fuel. The heat produced during fission in the reactor core is used to boil water into steam. This steam turns the steam turbine and drives generators to produce electricity. Nuclear plants then cool the steam by feeding it back into the water in cooling towers: this water flows back into other bodies of water. The use of nuclear fission energy should be increased to help meet the world's increasingly demanding energy demands. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, between 1995 and 2016 the United States prevented 14,000 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere using nuclear energy. Since nuclear energy releases no carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, or nitrogen oxide, the use of nuclear energy during these 21 years is comparable to removing 3 billion cars from the roads. On the other hand, nuclear power plants require fossil fuels for auxiliary uses during their construction, extraction, fuel processing, maintenance and decommissioning. Although the use of fossil fuels is required to a limited extent, it requires only about 4-5% more than a natural gas-fired power plant, thus making nuclear energy a cleaner alternative to traditional fuel use fossils. As global warming has become an increasingly disastrous phenomenon, preventing the release of carbon dioxide into the air has become an important issue that must be addressed. Another reason why the use of nuclear energy should be increased is that the capacity of nuclear energy is huge while the required land footprint is small. Capacity is defined as the percentage of energy produced in a given period of time. While wind energy, solar energy and hydropower are constant and highly dependent on weather conditions, nuclear energy is independent of weather conditions and is a reliable source of renewable energy. In 2016, nuclear power plants generated about 20% of U.S. electricity and had an average capacity factor of 92.3%, compared to 25.1% for solar electricity and 52.8% for coal. Therefore, nuclear energy is by far the most reliable energy source. One proposed limitation to nuclear power capacity, however, is the availability of the relatively scarce metals used in the construction of the reactor vessel and core. Even if thisscarcity is not an immediate concern, it is however a challenge posed by the expansion of the use of nuclear energy. Plus, it takes up less space than many other forms of renewable energy sources. In the United States, the average 1,000 megawatt nuclear plant requires just over 1 square mile to operate. However, wind farms require 360 ​​times more land area to produce the same amount of electricity, while solar photovoltaic plants require 75 times more space than nuclear power plants. By switching to nuclear energy, this land could be used in other ways such as agricultural production, creating cities, etc. Security is one of the most important factors when it comes to creating multiple power source sites. Nuclear power plants must meet very high safety standards in order to operate: there are multiple overlapping safety levels designed to prevent the accidental release of radiation. Some examples of safety precautions taken include rods that enclose the reactor's uranium fuel, huge steel vessels and pipes that contain the fuel rods and cooling system, and a highly robust building that houses the reactor, which is made of steel reinforced concrete of different sizes. thick feet. The Nuclear Regulatory Committee (NRC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency approve emergency plans needed by nuclear power plants to ensure additional safety. The NRC conducts assessments of nuclear power plants to ensure reactor safety, radiation safety, and security. Thanks to these safety precautions, nuclear energy sources are safe to use. Even Bill Gates said that “nuclear energy, in terms of overall safety, is better than other energies”. In the past, scientists have used many methods to address problems related to nuclear energy production. One such case was the Fukushima Daiichi accident. Following a strong earthquake, a 15-meter tsunami destroyed the power supply and cooling of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors, causing a nuclear accident on March 11, 2011: all three cores melted within the first three days , causing the release of radioactive materials into the air . In response, scientists called for covers to be built on the units to reduce the release of airborne radioactive substances into the air. Additionally, removal of fuel from the Units 1 and 2 basins was scheduled for 2018, while recovery of fuel debris was scheduled for 2020. Even if accidents like this occur, nuclear power is still a more viable alternative. clean to fossil fuels. In short, nuclear energy is essential to combating climate change and its production should be increased to help meet the world's increasing energy needs. The World Health Organization has said that urban air pollution, which is a mixture of all the chemicals just described, causes 7 million deaths each year, or about 1 in 8 of total deaths. The continued use of fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, a growing phenomenon that society must address. Therefore, nuclear energy production must be increased. As global warming becomes a growing threat to society, scientists are racing to find cleaner alternatives to preserve the environment by decreasing the number of greenhouse gases released into the air. One of the proposed alternatives is nuclear energy. However, nuclear energy is just as dangerous as coal- and natural gas-fired energy. Although it does not release into the aircarbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxide, has many dangerous consequences that pose great risks. There are currently 444 nuclear power plants in 30 countries, with another 63 plants under construction, but the use of nuclear energy should be stopped due to nuclear waste, the high cost of nuclear energy and the accidents it has caused. It constitutes 19.7% of US energy sources, and before this percentage grows further, the many consequences of nuclear energy must be considered. In nuclear fission, atoms split to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. The arrangement of particles in uranium-235 is somewhat unstable, and the nucleus breaks into smaller pieces when it absorbs an additional neutron. Nuclear fission occurs inside the reactor of a nuclear power plant, and the core of the reactor contains uranium-based fuel. The heat produced during fission in the reactor core is used to boil water into steam. This steam turns the steam turbine and drives the generators to produce electricity. Nuclear power plants then cool the steam by feeding it back into the water in cooling towers: this water returns to other bodies of water. While this may seem like a clear alternative to fossil fuels, fossil fuels are needed for ancillary uses during construction, mining, fuel processing, maintenance, and decommissioning (Rhodes, Richard). One of the major environmental concerns related to nuclear energy is the creation of radioactive waste such as uranium processing residues, reactor fuel, and other radioactive wastes. Radioactive waste generated by nuclear energy can remain radioactive and dangerous for thousands of years. Furthermore, there are simply no long-term solutions to solve this problem. Currently, most waste is stored in temporary above-ground structures. However, these facilities are rapidly running out of space, forcing nuclear power plants to look for other types of storage that are more expensive and less safe. Some in the nuclear industry argue that while there are problems with nuclear power, the benefits outweigh the risks when dealing with nuclear waste. However, there are cleaner alternatives, such as solar and wind energy, that do not produce radioactive waste that can be extremely dangerous to human health. As the cost of operating nuclear power plants increases, many are closed because they may no longer be able to operate a nuclear power plant without suffering economic losses. Upfront capital, fuel and maintenance costs are exponentially higher for nuclear power plants than for wind and solar power. Additionally, nuclear plants tend to experience cost overruns and construction delays. As renewable energy sources have made technological advancements, the price of renewable energy sources has decreased significantly and is expected to continue to decrease. While some may argue that societies need nuclear energy today because solar, wind and other types of energy sources are still being developed, these other renewable energy sources will eventually catch up and be a better alternative compared to nuclear energy. The most frightening consequence of nuclear power plants is the devastating accidents that could occur due to human errors or natural disasters. The Chernobyl disaster in 1986 led to the deaths of 30 employees in the initial explosion and resulted in adverse health effects for thousands of other people exposed to the harmful chemicals caused by this accident. Likewise,.