Nuclear Power: Pros and Cons - Essay Example

Introduction The use of nuclear energy continues generating intense debate that mainly focuses on safety and international security. The recent nuclear crisis in Japan and the Iran nuclear standoff are just indicators that the debate is not ending soon. Some countries including Germany are planning to phase out nuclear energy in favor of renewable sources in future. These events have unfortunately created misconceptions about nuclear power, which highlight more on perceived disadvantages than its benefits.

This paper is a critical examination of nuclear energy focusing on its advantages and disadvantages in relation to other sources of energy. Nuclear energy is generated through the process of nuclear fission, in a chain reaction that involves splitting of atomic nuclei using neutrons (Smith, 2006). Uranium is the major nuclear fuel used to generate the energy and the reaction takes places in a nuclear reactor. Currently, destruction by nuclear weapons and effects of climate change are the greatest threats facing humanity (Smith, 2006).

Use of nuclear energy increases the possibility of developing weapons of mass destruction on one hand and it reduces the impacts of climate change on the other. Therefore, nuclear power has unique benefits and risks compared to other sources of energy. Nuclear energy is clean, reliable and relatively safe compared to fossil fuels. According to Comby (2008), nuclear energy production process emits negligible amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

Greenhouse gases are the major causes of global warming which contribute to climate change (Smith, 2006). Fossil fuels supply over 85% of the total energy demand in the world (Comby, 2008). The major fossil fuels are coal, oil and natural gas, which release energy through a controlled combustion process. During the process, over 23 billion tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere annually. Although plants and other biological systems use half of the released carbon dioxide, the rest remains unutilized in the atmosphere causing significant climatic changes (Comby, 2008).

In generating nuclear energy, small quantity of raw material (Uranium) is used to produce large quantities of energy. The energy produced by burning one tonne of coal or oil is equivalent to energy generated by one gram of uranium. In addition, the quantity of nuclear wastes is significantly small compared to that of fossil fuels (Comby, 2008). The waste generated from nuclear reactors could be recycled to produce more energy and their small quantity implies that limited space for disposal is used.

Fossil fuels are non-renewable and global reserves are expected to run out in future. However, uranium deposits are plenty and hence nuclear energy supply is more secure and reliable compared to fossil fuels. In comparison with renewable sources of energy such as solar and hydropower, nuclear energy is more reliable. Solar, wind, and hydroelectric power depends on the intensity of the respective sources of power. Nuclear reactors are more compact and do not take large areas on land compared with solar and wind installations.

Therefore, nuclear energy is more appropriate in the modern world where high population growth has exerted intense pressure on the available land (Comby, 2008). Although nuclear energy generating process and wastes emit potentially lethal radiations, the technology is relatively safe. In over 50 years that nuclear energy production technology has been in existence only three serious accidents have occurred. These accidents were in Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and the most recent was in Japan.

Chernobyl claimed fewer than 50 human lives as a result direct exposure to radiations (WHO, 2005). The other two accidents did not cause any fatality. However, accidents in coalmines claim thousands of miners annually, while toxic gaseous emissions such as carbon monoxide produced while using fossil fuels cause significant deaths in the world every year. Moreover, using fossil fuels is a contributing factor to formation of smog that causes poor visibility in roads and airspaces. Poor visibility on roads and airspace causes many fatal accidents annually especially in highly industrialized countries (Smith, 2006).

The major concern of nuclear energy is diversion of the technology to manufacture nuclear weapons. This shortcoming could be addressed by strengthening nuclear safeguards and limiting the technology used to enrich fuel used in making the weapons (NRC 2011). Several factors should be considered before constructing and operating a nuclear plant. These include availability of necessary financial and human resources to build and run nuclear installations. Nuclear installations require highly skilled personnel and besides the initial capital for construction, the plant requires substantial operating cost.

The second important consideration is handling and disposal of the nuclear wastes. Nuclear wastes should be handled carefully to safeguard environmental integrity and prevent them from being diverted into inappropriate use such as manufacture of nuclear weapons. In addition, nuclear installations are high value targets for terrorist attacks because of the devastating effects that could result from their destruction. Moreover, sensitive activities such as making fuel and decommissioning reactors require high level of security (Smith, 2006).

Therefore, security is an important consideration prior to building and running a nuclear installation. Before deciding where to build a new nuclear plant, the first thing I would do is to involve the local community in the project. Construction of a nuclear plant is a contentious issue and it is important to educate and involve the local community in the project in order to allay their fears and concerns. The second phase is conducting an environmental impact assessment of the installation to determine the effects of the plant on environment.

The recent nuclear disaster in Japan demonstrated that natural forces such as earthquakes and tsunamis could have devastating effects on nuclear installations. Hence, it is important to conduct an extensive assessment of the installation in the selected area. I would not have a problem if a nuclear plant were constructed 125 miles away from my home. However, I would vehemently oppose its construction if it is 12.5 miles away and vacate the area if it is built within 1.25 miles from home. Conclusion The public should be informed that nuclear power is safer to the environment than fossil fuel because it does not emit greenhouse gases that cause adverse climatic changes.

In addition, nuclear power is one of the safest forms of energy and the plants are constructed in strict adherence to internationally established safety standards to prevent leakage of radioactive materials to the environment. The public should be aware that since the first nuclear power plant was constructed over fifty years ago, only three accidents have occurred in all nuclear facilities in the world, claiming less than fifty people from radiations. These fatalities pale in comparison with thousands of miners who die annually in coalmines in China alone.

References Comby, B. (2008). Benefits of nuclear energy. Retrieved on 7 February 2012 from http://www.ecolo.org/documents/documents_in_english/BENEFITS-of-NUCLEAR.pdf NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission).(2011). Nuclear security and safeguards. Retrieved on 6 February, 2012 from http://www.nrc.gov/security.html Smith, B. (2006). Insurmountable risks: The dangers of using nuclear power to combat climate change. New York: IEER Press. WHO.(2005). Chernobyl: The true scale of the accident. Retrieved on 6 February 2012 from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2005/pr38/en/index.html.