|
|
The advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy:
The advantages of nuclear power include:
- Uranium is an abundant source of concentrated energy which does not release any greenhouse gas emissions. Since uranium is used as the main fuel, nuclear power plants do not contribute to higher carbon dioxide levels and global warming.
Worldwide nuclear energy avoids on average the emission of more than two billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
For more information, go to:
 http://www.nei.org/index.asp?catnum=2&catid=346
- Although nuclear power reactors are expensive to build, they are relatively cheap to operate. At about two parts per million in the earth’s crust, uranium is similar in abundance to gold, silver and mercury, however, quite small quantities are required for a large power station.
The disadvantages to the use of nuclear energy include:
- Uranium is a non-renewable energy source because uranium supplies are limited and they draw on finite resources that will eventually dwindle.
- Uranium and its by-products from the use in reactors are highly radioactive. The phenomenon of radioactivity was discovered by French physicist Henri Becquerel in 1896 when he noticed an exposure effect on a photographic plate stored in a drawer next to a rock that contained uranium. Soon afterwards, another French scientist, Marie Curie - who was working to understand uranium and its by-products – discovered two new elements, radium and polonium. Curie was to eventually die from the effects of radiation exposure. We now know that radioactive elements can seriously affect human health and this remains the major concern of people opposed to the use of nuclear power.
For more information about Henri Becquerel, go to:
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/
For more information about Marie Curie and the science of radioactivity, go to:
http://www.aip.org/history/curie/contents.htm
Extremely stringent government laws control the handling and storage of the nuclear waste products to ensure that the power station workers and the public are not exposed to any radioactivity. For instance, the waste fuel is removed under water and it is transferred to a large storage pool (located well away from human activity) where it may remain for up to 50 years until radioactivity declines naturally to acceptable levels. Every year, about 30kg of waste fuel results from the generation of electricity for about 1,000 people.
For more information about safety in the nuclear energy industry, go to:
http://www.world-nuclear.org/why/nucsafety.html
However, nuclear energy remains an option for countries like France and Japan, which can make use of the uranium deposits within their own borders rather than importing fuel from overseas.
 Next Section >> Uranium mining in Australia.
^ back to top ^
|
 |
|
