What is YOUR opinion on Nuclear Power?

Question

Personally i see both benefits and drawbacks from nuclear power. And I'm not exactly sure what my opinion is on it, so it would help to here others opinion to help form my own...

Pros:

Clean (non C02 providing) electricity (doesn't aid Global Warming)

Electric independence from other countries

Cons:

If there is an accident the damage is pretty horrendous

No absolutely sure guaranty that the waste will be stored properly for the 1000000000s of years it takes for it to become un-radioactive

If there is an accident

Answer 1

Nuclear Power is a great alternative environmentally.  But aside from Nuclear Accidents, you have to consider all off the "Red Tape" that you have to go through just to build a Nuclear Power Plant in the first place.  Most of the factors include a location, getting the consesus of the public in that location, as well as getting the Nuclear Power Plant approved by the government.

There's no doubt that Nuclear Power is great for the environment, but we would have a long wait until we become solely dependent on Nuclear Energy.

In the meantime, however, we should look into and understand other types of "clean" energy, such as Wind, Solar, and Hydroelectric Dams, which are just as environmentally safe, and can be built in a timely manner.

Answer 2

The risks of global warming are greater than the risks of nuclear power.  It's not a close call.

We can engineer plants which are safe and safe from terrorists.  We have much experience burying waste and know how to bury nuclear waste safely.  Finding a location is a political problem, not a technical one.

Judging nuclear plants by places like Chernobyl is like judging cars based on a 20 year old Yugo (Google it).

Answer 3

Pros of nuclear power is an oxymoron. How can something that produces a deadly byproduct that lasts for thousands of years be considered clean energy.

And dont forget people like george bush are responsible for disposing of it safely.

Any nuclear plant that is considered being built will take at least 15 years more like 25 to be ready (how old will you be?)so as a panecea for the environment its too long and within that time if the same amount of money was spent on solar, thermal, fuel cells and micro generation there would be no need for nuclear. Its a dinosaur!!!

Answer 4

I'm pro nuclear (I'm actually a nuclear engineer so I'm a little biased).

I would like to point out an article in the Washington post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...

In this article Patrick Moore, one of the co-founders of Greenpeace (an organization notorious for being anti-nuclear), comes out and explains why he has changed his stance and why he now supports nuclear energy. Please read it.

Answer 5

Nuclear power is the controlled use of nuclear reactions to release energy for work including propulsion, heat, and the generation of electricity. Use of nuclear power to do significant useful work is currently limited to nuclear fission and radioactive decay. Nuclear energy is produced when a fissile material, such as uranium-235 (235U), is concentrated such that nuclear fission takes place in a controlled chain reaction and creates heat — which is used to boil water, produce steam, and drive a steam turbine. The turbine can be used for mechanical work and also to generate electricity. Nuclear power provides 7% of the world's energy and 15.7% of the world's electricity and is used to power most military submarines and aircraft carriers.[1]

Disquiet over the safety of nuclear power was exacerbated by the unsafe design and operation of the Soviet-built plant at Chernobyl. However, new plants designed to be safer than current Western plants are on the verge of being built - and global warming concerns may spark a resurgence.

The use of nuclear power is controversial for a number of reasons (see below and the Main Article). Proponents believe that these risks are small and can be further reduced by the technology in the new reactors. They further claim that the safety record is already good when compared to other fossil-fuel plants, that it releases much less radioactive waste than coal power, and that nuclear power is a sustainable energy source. Critics, including most major environmental groups, claim nuclear power is an uneconomic and potentially dangerous energy source with a limited fuel supply, especially compared to renewable energy, and dispute whether the costs and risks can be reduced through new technology.

Several concerns about nuclear power have been expressed, and these include:

Concerns about nuclear reactor accidents, such as the Chernobyl disaster

Vulnerability of plants to attack or sabotage

Use of nuclear waste as a weapon

Health effects of nuclear power plants

Nuclear proliferation

Concerns about the complexity of nuclear power plants

There is concern in some countries over North Korea and Iran operating research reactors and fuel enrichment plants, since those countries refuse adequate IAEA oversight and are believed to be trying to develop nuclear weapons. North Korea admits that it is developing nuclear weapons, while the Iranian government vehemently denies the claims against Iran.