Foster 1

Joshua Foster
Mrs. Davis
English 1 (Honors)
28 October 2014
Nuclear Energy and Waste Social Issue Essay
Probably the best thing about nuclear energy is that it is considered to be able to provide
a better energy source instead of regularly using fossil fuels and also could replace the coal-
based power plants that emit high amounts of greenhouse gasses and pollutants. Nuclear power
not only makes peoples lives better, it also helps the environment.
When used in a certain way, nuclear energy gives off no greenhouse gasses and also
gives off no radioactive waste. This type of nuclear energy is called Nuclear Fusion; this is when
2 atoms collide and create a new type of atom and release energy, thus not creating any waste
whatsoever. The only real downside to this energy is that it is very expensive and we do not yet
have the technology to make it inexpensive. However, a lot of people still think that this type of
energy is better than the latter, which will be explained in the next paragraph.
The other type of nuclear energy is called Nuclear Fission, which unlike the other type of
nuclear energy is much more environmentally unfriendly to use. Basically this is where uranium
is heated, causing the atoms inside the uranium to move around, until eventually two atoms
move so fast they hit each other, knocking out the nucleus which will knock out the next and
cause a chain reaction until it stops in the cooling chamber. This process releases many
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greenhouse gasses and also the atoms have become radioactive, so they must be buried in the
ground. However, there are German scientists that claim that they can reduce the amount of time
that the rods that absorb the radioactivity are radioactive. They claim that they can shorten the
amount of time from like 100,000 years to around 300. This could improve the environmentally
friendliness by a bit, not much but still better.
People worry a lot about Nuclear Waste when it can be safely stored. This makes nuclear
energy a very viable option for the future and though it may not be as clean as the other energy,
such as sun and wind, it is still more viable than those two. It is considered to have a very good
balance between cost effectiveness and environmental friendliness. The main negative issue of
these nuclear plants is that it could increase ocean temperatures, but this heating is localized to
the plants and can in many different ways result in an increased biodiversity from the slightly
warmer waters. Another way that it is more viable than most others renewable resources is
because it can produce a lot more energy than the latter energies with a lower use of resources.
Overall I think that Nuclear Energy should be our focus to try and develop the technology
for it so that we can easily and more inexpensively use Nuclear Fusion and its clean energy to
our advantage. I also think that its good in the sense of how much energy it produces for the
small amount of resources it takes up. I think that, for now, Nuclear Fission can get us the energy
we need until we can get better technology for Nuclear Fission. However, I think once we get
Nuclear Fusion easily and cheaply available then we wont have to worry about using up as
many natural resources as we do now. This essay has been about how nuclear power not only
makes peoples lives better, but how it also helps the environment.
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Bibliography
Advantasges and Disadvantages of Nuclear Power. n.d. 22 October 2014.
Bryant, BJ. Nuclear Power. n.d. 22 October 2014.
Ehresman, Teri. Benefits of Nuclear Energy. n.d. 22 Ocotber 2014.
Fabian Schmidt, Conor Dillon. Can Nuclear Power be Eco-Friendly? 9 March 2013. 22 October 2014.
Is Nuclear Energy a Green Alternative? n.d. 22 October 2014.