This or That: Nuclear power vs. alternative energy sources
Should we focus on building one or the other, or both?
Benefits of Nuclear Power:
Nuclear Power plants do not release carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides – and thus don't contribute to climate change, acid rain or smog. Nuclear plants can generate large amounts of power (they currently supply 19 percent of U.S. power demand). Nuclear power is reliable. Wind and good weather aren't required to create power.
Disadvantages of Nuclear Power:
Nuclear power is a non-renewable energy source. Eventually, our uranium stores will run out (sometime between 60 and 1,000 years from now). Mining uranium requires the use of fossil-fueled trucks and machines. Every year, American power plants produce 2,000 metric tons of radioactive fuel. Spent fuel rods must be disposed of carefully. The rods and other nuclear waste stay radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years. (see http://www.nrc.gov/waste/high-level-waste.html) And there's always the danger of a nuclear accident or radiation leak.
Common Misconceptions:
If there is a meltdown, a nuclear power plant will explode like an atomic bomb.
FALSE: Nuclear reactor grade fuel is not enriched to the same level as weapons-grade uranium or plutonium. To cause an uncontrolled nuclear reaction (the kind required to produce an explosion), high fissility fuel must be used.
Terrorists could easily attack a nuclear power plant.
FALSE: Even if terrorists could infiltrate a nuclear plant the containment facilities of nuclear reactors and the structures holding spent fuel rods are very strong and make hard terrorist targets. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission examined a scenario of an airplane hitting a nuclear plant and declared the plants are robust enough to weather such an attack. (http://www.nrc.gov/security/faq-security-assess-nuc-pwr-plants.html)
Alternative Power
Alternative power sources can include wind and solar energy.
Benefits of Alternative Power:
Wind and solar energy are renewable and don't release greenhouse gases or harm the Earth. Wind and sunshine are free. Alternative energy generators are easy to construct, cheap to maintain and economically viable for consumers.
Disadvantages of Alternative Power:
Alternative power can be unreliable. When the wind stops or it's cloudy ... your power might stop flowing. Most alternative sources do not have much government support and so don't have many resources backing technology development or dissemination. Most people don't know or care about alternative power sources and so don't make use of the wind or solar power sources in their area. Solar panels are expensive.
Common Misconceptions:
Wind turbines kill many birds.
FALSE: Initially, some wind stations were established in high bird traffic areas, so some birds were killed. Now, developers have better learned where to place turbines so they don't interfere with bird populations. Over average 1-2 birds are killed by one turbine each year. Thus, wind power is probably less dangerous to birds than the pollution created by fossil fuels.
Solar power stations require too much room to build.
FALSE: Solar cells are actually fairly convenient to place and require much less room than would a dam or nuclear power facility.
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