Dose of STEM: The Controversy of Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power
Nuclear power is one of the most controversial yet effective methods for powering large areas and reducing CO2 emissions. Nuclear power has the highest energy capacity of any power source and it works at maximum capacity 92.5% of the time. Geothermal energy has the second highest energy capacity at 74.3% and other clean energy forms such as wind, hydro, and solar power are all below 50% energy capacity. With such a high energy capacity, nuclear plants can create around 1 gigawatt of electricity, enough to power 300,000 homes. Although nuclear power has incredible potential, misinformation has prevented it from becoming a mainstream power source. Currently, 31 countries have commercial nuclear power plants and in slightly less than half, including the United States, nuclear power supplies more than 20% of annual energy consumption. While this is a start, it is nowhere near the widespread usage needed to power the world and reduce CO2 emissions.
Advantages of Nuclear Power
One of the main advantages of nuclear power is its small carbon footprint. Similar to solar plants, nuclear power plants only release greenhouse gases during their construction. Following construction, power plants are able to produce large amounts of energy without outputting any CO2. Another advantage, as mentioned before, is that nuclear power has an extremely high energy capacity making it incredibly reliable. Nuclear power plants are able to function 336 days a year with the remaining 29 days used for maintenance. Finally, contrary to expectations, nuclear energy produces less radiation than any other widespread energy source. This makes nuclear power much safer for humans and the environment; especially compared to forms of power like coal that release substantially more radiation yet still remain one of the most common forms of power.
Disadvantages of Nuclear Power
According to the public, there are two main disadvantages to nuclear power: the risk of accidents and the disposal of nuclear material. Everyone has heard of at least one of the three main nuclear disasters: Three-Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. All of these well-known disasters only released minimal amounts of radiation into the environment and the death rate is relatively low as compared to other large scale industrial disasters. Chernobyl, the most deadly nuclear disaster to date, had a 9 times lower death rate than liquified gas incidents and a 47 times lower rate than at hydroelectric facilities. According to studies, even the worst possible nuclear scenario would be less destructive than other industrial disasters. The next main disadvantage is more of a political than a technological one. There are already facilities created around the world to contain spent fuel while it decomposes to become less radioactive. A single American facility in New Mexico could accommodate the entire world’s nuclear waste for the next thousand years. Despite having the technology to store radioactive waste, it is not readily available around the world. Designing the necessary facilities requires money, supplies, and large areas of land making it less feasible in certain areas. Overall, the perceived disadvantages of nuclear power are more based on misinformation and fear than technological issues.
The Role of Nuclear Power in the Future
As nations around the world pursue ambitious goals to combat climate change and reduce carbon emissions, they will be forced to move away from fossil fuels. While hydro, solar, and wind power are all becoming more common, they are not growing enough to stop the climate crisis and decarbonize the world’s power grid. Nuclear power has the ability to bridge the gap between carbon-based energy and renewables. Despite the enormous potential of nuclear energy in the fight against climate change, more and more nations are shutting down power plants. Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Switzerland are all phasing out nuclear energy and closing down power plants. In the United States, power plants are also closing as they reach the end of their life spans. Instead of opening new power plants, funding is being stalled and already expensive projects are becoming more costly. Even in China, one of the leading countries along with South Korea in relation to nuclear energy, where it is substantially cheaper to build nuclear power plants, cost overruns and delays are slowing construction. In order for nuclear power to have the potential to become a widespread solution to carbon-based fuel, new inventions are necessary. Nuclear power must become cheaper and disinformation must be overcome if nuclear energy is ever going to reach its enormous potential. The world is changing and nuclear power must change with it.
Sources:
Nuclear Explained (U.S. Energy Information Association): https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/nuclear-power-plants.php
Why Nuclear Power Must Be Part of the Energy Solution (Yale Environment 360; published at the Yale School of Environment): https://e360.yale.edu/features/why-nuclear-power-must-be-part-of-the-energy-solution-environmentalists-climate
Nuclear Power is the Most Reliable Energy Source and It's Not Even Close (U.S Dept. of Energy; Office of Nuclear Energy): https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/nuclear-power-most-reliable-energy-source-and-its-not-even-close
Nuclear Power in the World Today (World Nuclear Association): https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx
The controversial future of nuclear power in the U.S. (National Geographic): https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/nuclear-plants-are-closing-in-the-us-should-we-build-more?loggedin=true
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