Nuclear Energy: Is it Reliable or Not?
I think nuclear energy is a pretty unreliable resource due to its highly toxic consistency and radioactive material, it is a highly imbalanced chemical make-up and to my knowledge, a very unpredictable and dangerous substance to be handling. During my research I’m going to look into the following, is nuclear energy a safe and reliable source, how can we keep it under control if more nuclear energy is considered, and how will we as humans benefit from nuclear energy? I will also take a look into the cons, the negative sides of using nuclear energy and its effects on human, animals and our environment. First we have to look into what exactly is nuclear energy. Defined by science, nuclear energy is described as the energy released by the nucleus of an atom as the result of nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, or radioactive decay. The amount of energy released by the nuclear fission of a given mass of uranium is about 2,500,000 times greater than that released by the combustion of an equal mass of carbon. And the amount of energy released by the nuclear fusion of a given mass of deuterium is about 400 times greater that that released by the nuclear fission of an equal mass of uranium. Also called atomic energy (Science Dictionary). Nuclear power is considered a prominent alternative, despite the disregard it was met with in the 1970s. This is because it’s now being seen as a more environmentally beneficial solution since it emits far less greenhouse gases during electricity generation than coal or other kinds power plants. It is widely accepted as a somewhat dangerous, potentially problematic, but manageable source of generating electricity. Radiation isn’t easily dealt with, especially in nuclear waste and maintenance materials, and expensive solutions are needed to contain, control, and shield both people and the environment from its harm. Keeping nuclear energy under control and maintaining its safety is very...