What are some enviormental impacts of Nuclear Energy?

Question

What are some positive or negative (or both) affects of Nuclear energy?

Please help, thanx

Answer 1

Like the others said nuclear energy only uses a small amount of a radioactive element, usually Uranium-235 to produce an exponetial amount of energy. The plants are safe and have to go through very strict cautionary procedures and building requirements. Using nuclear energy will lower dependence on other countries to provide fuel. Said to lesson need for fossil fuels, and therefore help fight global warming.



Unfortunately Nuclear energy should be the alternitive energy of the future. It is also a non-renewable resource. After U-235 is used for energy it is radioactive, and in order for it to be safe it has to go through 10 half-lives, the time it takes to lose half its energy. so if U235 takes 10,000 years for one half life then 5,000 for the second one, 2500 for the third and so on.(I dont think that's the actual half life) But you can see where it could take up to hundreds of thousands of years to declare it safe. We have to find a safe way to transport it and to store it for that long.  Waste could possibly be used for weapons.

Ok that was really long, but I hope it helps a little.

Answer 2

Nuclear energy produces huge quantities of power without producing any green house gases.

The amount of waste produced in one year can fit under your desk.

It's safe.  More people are killed each year putting up wind towers than killed in the nuclear power plants.

People just fear what they don't understand.

Answer 3

Upside: huge amounts of energy no matter what the conditions.  (solar, wind can't say that)

Downside: Chernobyl, 3-mile island.

Answer 4

You can read about nuclear energy here:

http://www.greenstudentu.com/Nuclear_Ene...

Answer 5

Well the bad part of Nuclear Energy is that it produces a toxic waste so deadly that after 50+ years of producing it the US still does not have a waste site open.  This toxic waste takes 40,000 years to degrade to a point where it will be safe again.  There is no know material that can contain it for that long.  The only hope is to bury it deep enough into rock that no one will ever be able to get to it.  I am ashamed to admit that our generations will put this burden on so many countless future generations.