Audrey Hales - Nuclear Energy
Lately, I have been very curious about the push towards nuclear energy and wanted to research it further. Nuclear Energy is becoming a growing source of energy, but as with any energy source it comes with advantages and disadvantages. Nuclear energy currently accounts for approximately 20% of the United States energy supply, but should we gradually shift towards more? On the plus side, nuclear power results in no carbon emissions. This is a very compelling benefit due to the pressing issue of global warming and the cause being linked closely to industrial carbon emissions. Nuclear power plants can also generate a lot of energy in comparison to the size of land they occupy, they have an extremely high power output. It is also considered to be a very reliable source of energy due to its consistent high output. On the other hand, nuclear energy is created by uranium which is technically a non-renewable resource. The environmental impact of mining uranium, and the price of it as the resource is depleted should also be considered. The costs of building and maintaining a nuclear power plant are very high and malfunctions can be catastrophic. Additionally, a product of nuclear power is radioactive nuclear waste, which is a huge environmental and health concern and has to be handled with extremely precise care and technology. After learning all of this information, I feel that a temporary push towards nuclear energy to replace carbon-emitting energy methods would be best while we make other clean forms of energy more affordable and efficient. Once we have found a way to support our needs with clean renewable energy sources, we should try to heavily lean on those for our energy supply. https://www.energysage.com/about-clean-energy/nuclear-energy/pros-and-cons-nuclear-energy/
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