WAC - Should We Expand the Use of Nuclear Energy in the Future?
Have you ever thought of the impact that you have on the world? Everything you do can impact climate change and the heating of the Earth, which can have other effects, such as increased risk of various natural disasters, and more. Scientists are considering to expand the use of nuclear energy in the future, but is this a good idea for the society, environment, and the world we live in? We should not increase the use of nuclear energy in the future as it is very dangerous, the waste leftover can be bad for the environment, and nuclear energy can be very expensive to build and maintain. Thus, turning to nuclear energy in the future is not a good idea because it has many negatives and can affect the world we live in.
One reason that we should not expand the use of nuclear energy in the future is that it is expensive to build and maintain. According to the article titled “Waste, families left behind as Nuclear plants close,” it states “Nuclear power is expensive, especially when compared to some of the alternatives, so the U.S. nuclear power industry is shrinking...Waste has to be stored in heavy concrete casks and guarded. The government's already paid more than $5 billion for that.” This shows that there are so many things that have to be done to maintain nuclear power plants, each more expensive than the next. In the same article, Christina Simeone states “Nuclear energy is likely to mushroom to about $30 billion, minimum, a decade from now.” This shows that the cost of nuclear power is increasing because there is extra maintenance, tools, and more that are increasing in price. In other words, nuclear power is very expensive compared to some other alternatives and would be very expensive to manage in the future.
With the use of nuclear energy, waste is left over and either buried deep underground or stored in facilities. Both of these options are very dangerous and can have a very big impact on the environment. In the video titled “Nuclear Energy: Is Fission the Future,” Dan Kammen states, “But one of the problems is what's left behind. We have various different ways to manage the waste. We can bury it underground, hoping that water never intrudes and that it is safe and secure. Or, we can store it in facilities where we can dig it out of the ground.” This shows that out of the two options, neither of which are safe or good for the environment. In the article titled, "Waste, Families Left Behind As Nuclear Plants Close," Allison Macfarlane, a former chairwoman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission states, “So, what is happening is plants across the country are having to store waste on site. Every nuclear plant in the country is storing this high-level radioactive waste, on site.” This shows that there is no alternative to managing waste, all nuclear plants are forced to store dangerous, high level radioactive. As a result, the waste has many effects on the society, environment, and the world that we live in.
Many people disagree and believe that we should expand the use of nuclear energy in the future, as it could help us reduce global warming. Nuclear power releases no carbon dioxide emissions, which is one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. If we increase the use of nuclear energy, we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, which will reduce climate change. Many agree. In the following article, “What’s Next For Nuclear," the author believes, “In order for the country to reduce its carbon emissions enough to slow down climate change, it will need to boost its nuclear energy production.” This makes sense, however, there is not only one way that we can reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. In the same article, Ralph Cavanagh, co-director of the energy program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, in San Francisco states, “The notion that nuclear is the only option we have to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions is preposterous,” This shows that there is not only one way that we can reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide.
Nuclear energy can also be very bad for the world we live in because it can be dangerous for both the society and the environment. In the article titled “What’s Next for nuclear," Dr. Lydia Zablotska, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco states,“The primary finding so far is an increased risk of thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases in those who were children and adolescents at the time of the accident,” This shows that the society is impacted from accidents and spills that can happen. In the same article, Per Peterson, chair of the University of California, Berkeley’s Department of Nuclear Engineering says, “The water pressure built up inside the containment to very high pressures, causing leakage and requiring venting, which released radioactive materials,” This shows that the use of nuclear energy can be bad for both the environment and the society and world we live in because it has harmful emissions.
In conclusion, we should not expand the use of nuclear energy in the future. Nuclear power is very expensive to maintain, dangerous for the environment, and can have an impact on the health of our society. Additionally, nuclear spills and disasters can have long-lasting effects on entire cities. Even though there are some positives to the use of nuclear power, there are many negatives that need to be addressed before we start coming to conclusions. What do you think? Should we expand the use of nuclear energy in the future?
One reason that we should not expand the use of nuclear energy in the future is that it is expensive to build and maintain. According to the article titled “Waste, families left behind as Nuclear plants close,” it states “Nuclear power is expensive, especially when compared to some of the alternatives, so the U.S. nuclear power industry is shrinking...Waste has to be stored in heavy concrete casks and guarded. The government's already paid more than $5 billion for that.” This shows that there are so many things that have to be done to maintain nuclear power plants, each more expensive than the next. In the same article, Christina Simeone states “Nuclear energy is likely to mushroom to about $30 billion, minimum, a decade from now.” This shows that the cost of nuclear power is increasing because there is extra maintenance, tools, and more that are increasing in price. In other words, nuclear power is very expensive compared to some other alternatives and would be very expensive to manage in the future.
With the use of nuclear energy, waste is left over and either buried deep underground or stored in facilities. Both of these options are very dangerous and can have a very big impact on the environment. In the video titled “Nuclear Energy: Is Fission the Future,” Dan Kammen states, “But one of the problems is what's left behind. We have various different ways to manage the waste. We can bury it underground, hoping that water never intrudes and that it is safe and secure. Or, we can store it in facilities where we can dig it out of the ground.” This shows that out of the two options, neither of which are safe or good for the environment. In the article titled, "Waste, Families Left Behind As Nuclear Plants Close," Allison Macfarlane, a former chairwoman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission states, “So, what is happening is plants across the country are having to store waste on site. Every nuclear plant in the country is storing this high-level radioactive waste, on site.” This shows that there is no alternative to managing waste, all nuclear plants are forced to store dangerous, high level radioactive. As a result, the waste has many effects on the society, environment, and the world that we live in.
Many people disagree and believe that we should expand the use of nuclear energy in the future, as it could help us reduce global warming. Nuclear power releases no carbon dioxide emissions, which is one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. If we increase the use of nuclear energy, we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, which will reduce climate change. Many agree. In the following article, “What’s Next For Nuclear," the author believes, “In order for the country to reduce its carbon emissions enough to slow down climate change, it will need to boost its nuclear energy production.” This makes sense, however, there is not only one way that we can reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. In the same article, Ralph Cavanagh, co-director of the energy program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, in San Francisco states, “The notion that nuclear is the only option we have to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions is preposterous,” This shows that there is not only one way that we can reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide.
Nuclear energy can also be very bad for the world we live in because it can be dangerous for both the society and the environment. In the article titled “What’s Next for nuclear," Dr. Lydia Zablotska, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco states,“The primary finding so far is an increased risk of thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases in those who were children and adolescents at the time of the accident,” This shows that the society is impacted from accidents and spills that can happen. In the same article, Per Peterson, chair of the University of California, Berkeley’s Department of Nuclear Engineering says, “The water pressure built up inside the containment to very high pressures, causing leakage and requiring venting, which released radioactive materials,” This shows that the use of nuclear energy can be bad for both the environment and the society and world we live in because it has harmful emissions.
In conclusion, we should not expand the use of nuclear energy in the future. Nuclear power is very expensive to maintain, dangerous for the environment, and can have an impact on the health of our society. Additionally, nuclear spills and disasters can have long-lasting effects on entire cities. Even though there are some positives to the use of nuclear power, there are many negatives that need to be addressed before we start coming to conclusions. What do you think? Should we expand the use of nuclear energy in the future?
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