NUCLEAR ENERGYMERITS AND DEMERITS

By,Abhidev.M.G

S3M1Roll.N.o:2

What is nuclear energy?

Nuclear energy is a powerful source of energy, generated during a nuclear reaction, by change in the nucleus of an atom. The source of nuclear energy is the mass of the nucleus and energy generated during a nuclear reaction is due to conversion of mass into energy (Einstein's Theory).

How Nuclear Power Works

Tricastin Nuclear Power Plant is one of 59 French plants that provide 75 percent of the country's

electricity.

•Power plants that depend on atomic energy don’t operate that differently from typical coal-burning power plants. •Both plants heat water into pressurized steam, which drives a turbine generator.•The difference between the two systems is how they heat the water•Before Nuclear power, plants would use fossil fuels to heat the water•Nuclear power plants depend on the heat that occurs during, nuclear fission

Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach.

TWO WAYS TO OBTAIN NUCLEAR ENERGY:1. Nuclear fission 2. Nuclear fusion

fission fusion

ADVANTAGES Almost 0 emissions (very low greenhouse

gas emissions). They can be sited almost anywhere unlike oil

which is mostly imported. The plants almost never experience

problems if not from human error, which almost never happens anyway because the plant only needs like 10 people to operate it.

A small amount of matter creates a large amount of energy.A lot of energy is generated from a single power plant.

It doesn’t rely on fossil fuels. Nuclear power plants release less radiation

than coal power plants. By not depending on fossil fuels nuclear

power costs are not affected by the fluctuating costs of fuel and coal.

Cost effective. Uranium less expensive than oil, natural gas or coal.

Nuclear power plants produce large amounts of electricity for relatively low costs and as such are viable means of power.

Disadvantages of Nuclear energy

Radioactive waste-. The waste from nuclear energy is extremely dangerous and it has to be carefully looked after for several thousand years (10'000 years according to United States Environmental Protection Agency standards).

Sustainability- Is nuclear energy sustainable and renewable

Nuclear Power Plant Accidents and Terrorism-If a nuclear power plant accident occurs, the environment and surrounding people could be exposed to high levels of radiation. A satisfactory plan to protect nuclear power plants from terrorism is not in place.

Radioactive Waste Radioactive Waste is still an unsolved problem. The waste from nuclear

power plants is extremely dangerous and it can remain active for more than several thousand years. There are several issues with burying the radioactive waste. Waste would be transported in large trucks. In the event of an accident, the radioactive waste could possibly leak. Another issue is that we can not be certain that the casks will not leak after the waste is buried. The amount of radioactive waste that we currently have would fill the Yucca Mountains and new sites would need to be found to bury future radioactive waste. Several methods have been suggested for final disposal of high-level waste, including deep burial in stable geological structures, transmutation, and removal to space. However, there is still no current solution to deal with the issue of radioactive waste. Some scientists feel that the idea of building more nuclear power plants and worrying about dealing with the waste later has the potential of a dangerous outcome. One other problem of radioactive waste is producing more nuclear weapons. The same know-how used to design nuclear power plants can to a certain extent be used to build nuclear weapons (nuclear proliferation).

Nuclear Energy is Neither Sustainable or Renewable Energy

Nuclear energy uses Uranium as fuel, which is a scarce resource. Their supplies are estimated to last only for the next 30 to 60 years depending on the actual demand. Uranium is available on earth only in limited quantities. Uranium is converted during the operation of nuclear power plant so it won't be available any more for future generations. This again contradicts the principle of sustainability. Both the nuclear waste as well as retired nuclear plants are a life-threatening legacy for hundreds of future generations. It flagrantly contradicts with the thoughts of sustainability if future generations have to deal with dangerous waste generated from preceding generations. Renewable energy sources can indeed provide base load electricity either directly or by also utilizing energy storage. Energy from renewable sources now accounts for a quarter of the installed capacity of California , a third of Sweden 's energy, half of Norway 's and three-quarters of Iceland 's. Six fully coasted modeling studies already show that deep cuts to greenhouse emissions can be achieved without needing nuclear power. Also, nuclear power plants have been not only expensive, they're also financially extremely risky because of their long lead times, cost overruns, and open-ended liabilities.

Nuclear Power Plant Accidents and Terrorism According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, regulated safety

procedures are not being followed to ensure that nuclear power plants are safe. Even if all safety precautions are followed, it is no guarantee that a nuclear power plant accident will not occur. If a nuclear power plant accident occurs, the environment and surrounding people could be exposed to high levels of radiation. Terrorism threats are another concern that needs to be addressed. How do we protect our nuclear power plants from terrorist threats? A satisfactory plan to protect nuclear power plants from terrorism Terrorists with sufficient expertise and resources could in theory build a nuclear bomb but only with enormous difficulty. Starting a chain reaction is not simple. Highly enriched uranium—very problematic to acquire—would have to be correctly contained to obtain an explosion. Terrorists stealing an American nuclear weapon couldn't explode it without detailed knowledge of classified procedures that unlock numerous fail-safe mechanisms. Nuclear weapons that have been accidentally dropped from aircraft or involved in plane crashes, for instance, have not exploded. The reason: these devices are designed to blow up only when properly detonated is not in place.

Nuclear plants are more expensive to build and maintain.

Waste products are dangerous and need to be carefully stored for long periods of time. The spent fuel is highly radioactive and has to be carefully stored for many years or decades after use. This adds to the costs.

There is presently no adequate safe long-term storage for radioactive and chemical waste produced from early reactors some of which will need to be safely sealed and stored for thousands of years.

Nuclear power plants can be dangerous to its surroundings and employees. It would cost a lot to clean in case of spillages.

There exist safety concerns if the plant is not operated correctly or conditions arise that were unforeseen when the plant was developed, as happened at the Fukushima plant in Japan.

nuclear plants can render hundreds of square miles of land uninhabitable and unsuitable for any use for years, decades or longer, and kill off entire river systems .

A lot of waste from early reactors was stored in containers meant for only a few decades, but is well past expiration and, resulting, leaks are furthering contamination.

Early nuclear research and experimentation has created massive contamination problems that are still uncontained.

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