You most likely have heard about nuclear power. Whether you’ve learned it at school or read it in the news. Nuclear power is now high on the rise!
As more and more people are dumping waste, it’s resulting in increased global warming every year. It has made changes to the climate, fertility of the soil and whatnot.
Nuclear power is claimed to be one of the most reliable sources of energy as it emits fewer greenhouse gases during the production of electricity.
Building a nuclear power plant has certain pros and cons as stated below:
Pros
Low pollution: Nuclear power creates fewer greenhouse gases. It has been determined that the level of pollution has cut down due to the presence of nuclear power. Nuclear power has the least effect on the environment since it doesn’t discharge any gases like methane and carbon dioxide.
Low operating costs: Nuclear power produces cheap electricity and the cost of uranium used is low as well.
Reliability: Nuclear power has a lot of reliability as the duration of uranium can last up to 70-80 years. A nuclear power plant can run uninterrupted for even a year and can also run in any weather condition.
Proficient than fossils fuels: Nuclear power has a high energy density than fossil fuels which is the primary reason for using this source of energy. The required amount of nuclear power plant is less than what is required by fossil fuels. This is one of the best advantages of not having to rely on fossil fuels such as oil and gas.
Cons
Radioactive: A nuclear power plant emits up to 20 metric tons of nuclear power every year. The element that contains nuclear power is uranium which is highly radioactive and it produces a lot of nuclear waste. The wastes transmit radiation and high temperature and it destroys living things and plants around it.
Environmental damage: The biggest problem with setting up a nuclear power plant is the impact on the environment. The process of refining and mining uranium is a dirty process. Once uranium is used, it cannot be dumped to a landfill site as uranium is dangerous to use.
Expensive to build: Building a nuclear power plant requires massive investment as it inquires giant stores. This process requires permission from several international authorities and regional ministries of the environment.
Non- renewable: Nuclear power is not a renewable source of energy. Once uranium is utilized, it cannot be produced again and again. Also, the availability of uranium is limited and can be found in certain locations in rock, soil, and rivers.
Health hazard: Nuclear power can cause serious health issues such as joint deformity, breathing problems and many more. The situation happened back in 26th April 1986, there was a nuclear accident in Ukraine at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was considered as the worst nuclear disaster in history.
The answer
All in all, there is no ‘right’ choice of how to use a sustainable source of energy without damaging the environment. Things have to be balanced and building a nuclear power plant is not an easy task.
Governments and environmental authorities have to take into account producing a reliable source of energy without any damage to the species and the environment. There are other sources of energy such as solar, hydroelectric, geothermal and biomass that can be utilized but the pros and cons have to be taken into consideration as well.
So try not to damage the environment and make it go green and clean!