Do We Really Need More Nuclear Power Stations?

Question

Another science essay i need help for... Plz :)

Answer 1

Coal power plants release more radiation than nuclear power plants (because of Carbon-14, and the fact that they do not include shielding for radiation). So, replacing coal burning plants with nuclear plants would be better for humanity.

Answer 2

A cartoon in a magazine went a bit like this:

Four people carrying placards and looking mean.
First placard: Say No to Nuclear Power Stations
Second: Say No to Ugly Wind Farms
Third: Say No to Fossil Fuels
Fourth: Say Hello! to thermal underwear and big sweaters!

Says it all. The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution report will be a lot of help to you. Also google Amery Lovins. Now THAT is a serious intellectual with lots to say on the subject.

My answer? No, but if we sit on our @rses and do nothing about all the energy challenges we're facing right now, then Yes.

How many new nukes would the UK need, if we go down that route? Forty six. There are other ways which I like more. But it's a fool that ignores this question.

Answer 3

lets look at it this way, there are 2 energy sources we have

1. the sun radiating an x amount of energy on our planet every second if we where able to collect all this energy then that would be great but collecting that energy is coslty. probably the cheapest and safest ways of collecting this energy is by burning carbon neutral materials

2. the materials on the earth itself, we burn many different materials however most materials release either toxic gases or gases that result in global warming, by extracting energy from neucear reactions (witch produces the majority of the earths energy) would be an amazing advancement the only problem with extracting this energy is safety, as we are totally bent on greed the safety precautions being most costly would be cut thereby making it a dangerous source of energy.

wouldnt life be so luxurious if we could actually carry out cold fusion.

note:
cold fusion was claimed to have been done by 2 americans during ww2 although this experiment has since been unreproducible

Answer 4

Don't give up on coal, which can now have most of its carbon removed before it's (note the two different itses) burnt in a power station. The fact remains, like it or not, that nuclear fission is the only way we have of securing future power supplies - unless somebody comes up with nuclear fusion, which would gain him/her an instant Nobel plus a vast fortune and would totally transform this little ole world of ours.

Answer 5

Unfortunatly with our rapid use of the stores of natural fossil fuels it does seem that we do need more nuclear stations!..... though if the general populous where less interested in there sky line views and more interested in the enviroment and the inpact that these stations have on it....we would have alot more wind farms being built instead of ever having to contemplate more power stations!

Answer 6

I personally do not believe so. If everybody had a small wind turbine attached to their roof, they could produce their own power in a very green way. Just think of all the pollution belched out into the atmosphere by a nuclear power plant.

Answer 7

That would depend on your view. Considering the polluting effects of coal-fired plants and the rising cost of natural gas, nuclear power stations may be the cleanest and cheapest form of energy. The drawback is what to do with radioactive waste that has a half life of thousands of years. However, by constructing enough nuclear power stations, we can cut our dependence on imported natural gas.

Answer 8

just because something is difficult shouldnt be reason not to use it; i think its unrealistic to expect nuclear generators to ever become sense; other means of power are workable just with investment and public backing

Answer 9

Yes.. otherwise we'd be forced to exploit other forms of energy and work out how to be more efficient or use less.

Answer 10

Of course we do Mr Tony Blair says we do and we all know what a paragon of virtue and shining light of honesty he is. ( or is that lying sh*te)