Nuclear Power Cons Argumentative Essay Example For Students

Nuclear Power: Cons Argumentative Essay Nuclear Power: ConsSince the days of Franklin and his kite flying experiments, electricityhas been a topic of interest for many people and nations. Nuclear power hasbeen a great advance in the field of electrical production in the last fiftyyears, with its clean, efficient and cheap production, it has gained a largeshare of the worlds power supply. However with the wealth of safer alternativesources of electricity, the dangers involved with nuclear reactors to humans (ie. cancer) and past disasters such as Chernobyl there are well based reasons not topursue this energy source. New sources such as fusion power, new studiesconcerning the health of nuclear by-products and scares of nuclear accidentslike those at Chernobyl are slowly rendering Nuclear Fission an obselete energysource. This essay will prove that nuclear power is a dangerous technology andwith many other sources and the dangers involved, the disadvantages of nuclearpower far outweigh the benefits. Alternative sources of energy are making their way into the highlycompetitive field of electricity production. With the wealth of sources such assolar, wind, hydro or geothermal the dangers involved with fission could besolved by adopting these newer, safer methods. A main source of energy thatcould lead the way for the near future is solar energy. It is clean efficientand is already a large part of American and Canadian electricity production. Solar energy already supplies about 6% of the nations U.S.A energy theindustry is still in an embryonic stage, and opportunity exists for increasingthis contribution by ten times from current levels. (Maidique, 92) It isobvious that solar power will become a large part of the electricity productionaround the world. With future expansion and newer solar cells, the powerproduction could be increased to about 60-70% of the U.S.As needs. Cold fusion will most surely be the newest type of energy leading usinto the 21st century, producing energy that is cheaper, safer and easier togenerate then any existing source. Fusion fuel releases a million times moreenergy then does burning a comparable weight of coal or oil; one teaspoon ofdeuterium, obtained cheaply from H20, contains the equivalent of 300 gallons ofgasoline; a mere 1000 pounds of deuterium could fuel a 1000-megawatt powerstation for a year. (Dean, 84) Such spectacular figures sound unbelievable. Using a thousand pounds of a substance to supply a 1000-megawatt power stationfor a year, such figures will cause plummeting electricity prices and makefission plants far too expensive. However, prices and efficiency are useless if the safety factor isabandoned. All three topics are dealt with in fusion, that is why it is such amiracle. In fact, a meltdown in a fusion reactor is impossible, which cannot besaid for fission. Compared with fission reactors the absence of such fissionproducts as radioactive iodine and cesium from the fusion cycle reduces thepotential hazard by more then a thousand-fold. (Dean, 84) This is accomplishedbecause in a fission reactor the fuel is formed in a solid form which must becooled by water, and if water is unavailable then a meltdown may occur. In afusion reactor the fuel is a hot gas rather then a solid. Because of this evenwith a complete loss of cooling the gas would cool as it hits the cold walls ofthe reactor chamber. With future resources, some proven like solar othersexperimental such as fusion, there is a wealth of possible energy sources. However, new sources of energy will not reduce the risk of horrificfission disasters such as those at Chernobyl or Three Mile Island. Pastdisasters such as Three Mile Island are well- based reasons to reconsidernuclear technology. At the Chernobyl power station at 1:00 am on April 25, 1996reactor number 4 was running smoothly. The engineers performed a standard teston the turbo generators (Engine that turns to produce electricity.) At 1:20amthe operator turned off the emergency cooling system. The sharp temperatureincrease in the reactor core, the rupture of the cooling channels (releasingsteam on to the red-hot graphite moderator, producing water gas) and thechemical reaction between overheated zirconium canning and water (releasinghydrogen) ignited by the fireworks of flying hot and glowing fragments producedby the steam explosion resulted in the explosion. (Trainer, 116) As the twohuge steam explosions tore the core apart, the force of the blast lifted thethousand ton cover lid above the core. Lethal radiation was being released intothe air. The explosion gave of more radiation then two atomic bombs dropped onHiroshima and Nagasaki combined. The accident is an awful reminder that andexplosion may not be only a freak occurrence. It so happens that it may becaused by other errors such as human blunder, low water supply or computerglitch, any misfunction may cause horrific problems. Feminine Traditions EssayThe thought of a nuclear power reactor located near a large city such asHarrisburg, Pennsylvania (site of Three Mile Island) where the exposure isreleased to thousands of people is unthinkable but does occur due to companyprofit needs. Radiation is not only spread through the air we breathe. It is alsopassed from plants we eat and water we drink. In areas such as Chernobyl thathave had even the mildest nuclear problems (obviously Chernobyl was not a mildproblem) we see an area in diameter around Chernobyl reaching as far as Kiev(400km) to have plants that are permanently inedible due to enormous radiationlevels. Unfortunately the radiation is not in the plants, it is in the soil, alayer of soil that will spread harmful radiation for the next 7 billion years. These plants should not be eaten, however many poor families have no choice andmay not be aware they are poisoning themselves. Neither the animals nor thepeople eating them know that they are being poisoned. It is more surprising thatareas in the U.S.A have to measured with abnormally higher radiation, it must bementioned these areas are located in relatively close proximity to a fissionpower plant. In addition, wind and rain erosion wash nuclear waste into streamsand rivers, poisoning the waters, killing the fish and eventually threateninghumans throughout the water they drink. (Kronenwetter, 48) The passage ofnuclear waste directly from the power plant to the soil, (which poisons plants)run- offs from the land which go into the water affecting both the poisonedwater we drink and the contaminated food we eat, not to mention the air that webreathe. These are scary facts that must no longer be overlooked in the name ofprofit. Nuclear power is a major pollutant and must be recognized a s one. In the 1990s we have many alternatives to Nuclear Power. Solar, wind,hydro and geothermal are all great sources that should be used to limit the useof nuclear power. Although nuclear power on the whole is a clean and efficient,it has many unnecessary drawbacks such as the waste it produces, this willcontinue to poison humans, plants and animals. With all the choices available topeople, why not choose a clean or renewable source of energy, one without thedangers of radioactive waste and possible core meltdowns. New sources canalready today replace fission power, it is unsafe, unwarranted and pointless toperuse something that can literally blow up in out face and kill us. In thefuture use of solar or wind power and maybe someday fusion power will causenuclear fission power to become obsolete. Science