Generally speaking, when someone today mentions the phrase “nuclear power”, all sorts of nasty thoughts tend to appear in the mind of anyone listening – the cold war, nuclear weapons, Chernobyl, and so on so forth. Those types of incidents and situations gave the “nuclear” brand an evil sound. It’s no wonder that so many people around the world are hesitant when the mention of building a nuclear power plant is suggested. Although one can understand their fears, usually all it takes is a little nuclear education to realize that nuclear power (especially today) is a very safe and clean, not to mention cost effective way to produce power for any country that is capable of doing so.
The Pros and Cons of Nuclear Power
The main pro that stands out is the fact that producing and using nuclear power is far less expensive than using up what remains of our fossil fuel inventory. Nuclear fission produces massive amounts of energy, and when harnessed safely, it can provide a very cost effective form of energy. Uranium, which is a required ingredient for the process, is contained all over the world in massive reserves said to be able to last well over one hundred years.
What really shines in turning nuclear power into usable electricity is the fact that the process doesn’t release greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. This makes nuclear power quite attractive, because even other forms of “green” alternative energy still emit “some” bits of greenhouse gas into the environment (like solar and wind power due to the equipment they use).
One of the first cons of nuclear power is the fact that it takes massive funding (in other words, a ton of money) to build a functional nuclear power plant. Even though nuclear power is a phenomenal source of energy, it can take upwards of years to recoup the initial investment that it took to build it. This is not very attractive to a lot of folks, mainly because we’re in such an energy crunch right now that people want a fast fix.
Another very, very ugly con of nuclear power is that while it doesn’t emit greenhouse gases, it does leave behind something else – nuclear waste. Nuclear waste is very containable, especially in today’s technologically advanced society, however, it still scares people, and causes all sorts of political issues that can change from one administration to the next.
Nuclear Future?
Even though we’ve been very cautious and what appears to be hesitant to construct nuclear plants, in reality, tons of money is being poured into nuclear power research. As the world feels the economic slump, partly due to energy issues, nuclear power will start to become more attractive, and the investment required will look a lot more affordable as our fossil fuel supplies deplete.
Some of the larger countries of the world (USA, Japan, India, etc…) are taking serious looks and actively pursuing the the implementation of using nuclear power as an energy source. Japan most recently finalized the construction of a high tech nuclear facility in 2005, which displays their faith in its potential. As we move on into the future, in an uncertain world when it comes to energy resources, nuclear power will most likely prevail as a leader in power creation.
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