Nuclear energy has been brought to the front of conversations lately. This means many of you are debating whether or not this energy is a safe option for our current energy system. Nuclear energy has many advantages and disadvantages for sure, so today we’re going to share some of the pros and cons of nuclear energy.
This list should help you better understand whether you’re on team nuclear energy or not. Each of the pros and cons has been heavily researched to ensure you’re receiving the most accurate information possible to help you better decide your feelings about this alternative energy option.
What is nuclear energy?
Let’s first discuss what nuclear energy is. In the most simple terms, this is the form of energy that’s created when atoms are split. The two atoms are that of uranium. When the atoms are split there’s a mass of excess “energy” created and thus gets transformed into heat. Nuclear power plants provide us with a safe environment for this process to happen.
Pro – Low-Cost Energy
Nuclear energy is much lower in cost than other forms of energy we currently use in the world. While there will be an upfront cost involved with the construction of nuclear power plants during a transition to this alternative energy source, the overall costs associated with nuclear energy are much lower than other energy options we use today.
Con – Accidents Possible
Unfortunately the first thing people think about when they hear the word nuclear is the disaster that occurred at Chernobyl. This disaster caused thousands of deaths from the radiation put off by the nuclear plant accident. This goes to show that while you can practice every possible safety measure with providing nuclear energy to consumers, accidents can happen and cause major damage.
Pro – Reliable Source of Energy
Other alternative energy options such as wind or solar power tend to fluctuate based on the weather. Nuclear energy will continue to work and provide us with energy regardless of the weather changes. This is a more reliable source of energy when seeking to switch to an alternative form of energy to fuel the world.
Con – Limited Fuel Supply
While nuclear energy is more reliable than wind or solar power due to the lack of being impacted by weather patterns, it does have a limited fuel supply. Nuclear energy needs uranium and thorium to provide energy. These two natural resources are limited in our world and some are owned by other countries, thus causing a little issue with transitioning over to nuclear energy right away.
Pro – Produces Low Pollution
Unlike fossil fuel energy, nuclear energy produces low pollution levels. While yes, nuclear energy will create radioactive waste, it emits less pollution during the process of creating energy at the nuclear power plants than fossil fuel plants create. The greenhouse gas reduction will help tremendously with our concerns about climate warming.
There you have it, a list of the pros and cons of nuclear energy to help you understand why this form of alternative energy may be worth having a look at, or not. We hope you learned more about the reasons one might think about switching to nuclear energy as a form of alternative energy in the world.