What do you think of nuclear energy?

Answer 1

Nuclear energy has both its positives and its negatives. The negatives are that if there is an accident, it would likely be a doozy of one, perhaps on the order of Cherbonyl. However, so far, the worse accident in the U.S., Three Mile Island, was actually more of a scare than an incident.

The other negative is the production of waste products. They remain radioactive and have long half-lifes, so they are around for a long time. It takes a special kind of facility to house the waste, but for obvious reasons, no one wants them near where they live.

The positives, however, are rather nice. In terms of the production of energy and the immediate effect on the environment, the worse by-product is heated water, which the cooling towers handle. Other electricity-generating facilities also require cooling towers, but they also generate combusted compounds that are often released into the atmosphere. Thus, excluding the nuclear-waste issue, nuclear power is quite clean.

It's also less expensive to produce as well. One can generate more power per mass of fuel with nuclear than with coal.

It comes down to the question of do the pros justify the cons. I think that given the industry's history with only one major accident world-wide (which has killed fewer people than the chemical release in Bhopal in 1984), there is still good reasons for using nuclear energy.

Answer 2

I like nuclear energy enough that I've planned a career in it. Nuclear energy generates very little waste and can be used anywhere, unlike wind, solar, or geothermal power plants. Whenever environmental organizations state that they're against nuclear power, I can't help but think that they don't know what they're standing for--nuclear fission is a far more sustainable power option than coal and oil, and we have the technology to switch to it right now!

Answer 3

I think that nuclear energy as a potential answer to the world energy crisis is a multi suck. It is powerful and cheap however, it is dangerous. So it is again the Suck. God made the world and the world is now looking for solutions. This is why: You stay up after the sun goes down. Do you really need to stay up? Can't you use other sources of enligtenment? Try using candles or gas lamps for a change.

Answer 4

Its great if you don't mind developing a slight afterglow.

Seriously, its waste products are - well - a problem. They remain dangerous for millenia with no safe means of disposal.

This also means that while nuclear power may not be that expensive now, it leaves a legacy of costs that the nuclear generators do not have to meet. Maybe if they had to buy insurance to cover these costs nuclear would not seem so attractive, but they will just get added to taxation.

Answer 5

The French use it for 70% of there energy, so it can't be that bad. Also, thanks to smart scientists there are beginning to decrease the years of the harmful wastes that result. Some have said that it is down to 300 years until the radioactivity wears off. It may not sound like a good thing, but it is better than the millions of years it natural takes. Just give science a chance.

Answer 6

costly because of the security precautions they have to take and the waste disposel is a hassel but it safer for the environment and way cleaner than petroleum

Answer 7

It is a fast, clean, safe, efficent way of producing power.

Answer 8

better than using coal and risk of meltdown are slight