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Is Nuclear Power a Safe Energy Source for Humans and the Environment?

The utilization of nuclear reactions to generate energy is known as nuclear power. Nuclear fission, nuclear decay, and nuclear fusion processes are all sources of nuclear energy. Nuclear power facilities now provide the overwhelming bulk of the energy generated by nuclear fission of plutonium as well as uranium. Nuclear decay is utilized in specialized applications like radioisotope thermoelectric generators in space probes.  Scientific study continues to concentrate on harnessing energy from fusion power (Agyekum, 2020). Despite the many oppositions of using nuclear power, it is however the safest energy source as its impact on the environment is less minimal than other energy sources.

In 2019, civil nuclear power generated 2,586-terawatt hours accounting for approximately 10percent of worldwide energy production and making it the 2nd-largest low-carbon power source following hydropower. There are four hundred and forty-two civilian fission reactors in operation throughout the globe as of January 2021, with a total electrical power of 392 gigawatts (GW). There are additionally fifty-three nuclear power reactors in the works and ninety-eight projected, with a total capacity of 60 Gigawatts and 103 Gigawatts, accordingly. With a mean generating capacity of 92 percent, the US boasts the world's biggest array of nuclear reactors, producing approximately 800 TWh of zero-emissions energy annually (Mark, 2013). In Asia, the majority of reactors in development are generation III reactors. When comparing with other energy sources, nuclear power occupies the lowest rates of deaths per unit of energy produced. Because of air pollution, charcoal, oil, natural gas, and hydropower have all caused more deaths per unit of energy. Nuclear power has avoided over 1.80 million air pollution-related casualties as well as the emissions of approximately 64B tons of carbon dioxide comparable ever since commercial exploitation in the 1970s (Mark, 2013). Nuclear power plant fatalities consist of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan and the Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union in 1986. The argument about nuclear power has been going on for a long time.  Nuclear power debates surged between the 1970s and the 1980s, when additional reactors were constructed and brought online, and in certain nations acquired intensity unparalleled in the chronology of technological disputes. Following that, the nuclear sector generated employment, emphasizing safety, and societal worries faded. (Be careful, this reads like it is taken word for word from the original. The information should be cited anyway but try to put it in your own words.)

Nuclear power is a topic of discussion, it is according to supporters like the World Nuclear Association and Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy, a secure, sustainable source of energy that lowers carbon dioxide emissions. Nuclear power critics, like Greenpeace and the Nuclear Information and Research Service (NIRS), argue that nuclear power presents numerous risks to humans and the planet (Völkle, 2020).

With increased public knowledge of climate change and the vital contribution that methane and carbon dioxide emissions have in driving the warming of the planet's atmosphere in the past few years, the nuclear energy issue has resurfaced. Supporters and climate change activists highlight the dependable, emission-free, high-density energy provided by nuclear power, as well as a wave of young scientists and engineers striving to develop the next generation of nuclear technologies to eradicate fossil fuels. Critics, however refer to nuclear disasters like the Chernobyl disaster, as well as increasing acts of worldwide terrorism, to advocate against this technology's continued usage.

The argument with those who dread nuclear power and those who worry what would occur to the planet if humankind does not utilize nuclear power persists unabated. Former President John F. Kennedy stated at the launching for what was the earth's biggest nuclear power plant (the Hanford Reactors) (Use commas instead of parentheses) in 1963 that it was a move on the lengthy path to peace, and that we could “preserve the resources" by utilizing various technologies and sciences to accomplish major advances. Nonetheless, he recognized that the Atomic Era was a "horrendous period" in which the course of the planet was altered when the atom was spilt apart (Völkle, 2020). (Add page number from article)

Arguments supporting the use of nuclear energy claim that it is a safe, long-term source of energy that produces large quantities of energy without harming the environment or releasing the carbon emissions that adversely impact the environment. Nuclear power generates a large number of high-paying employments, improves energy security, and decreases reliance on imported fuels and also vulnerability to price concerns connected with resource speculations and Middle East conflicts.   Nuclear power supporters argue that it generates hardly any air pollution, as opposed to the enormous amounts of pollutants and carbon emissions produced by burning fossil fuels such as charcoal and natural gas. At all hours of the day and night, modern civilization requires constant energy to power telecommunications, data centers, transports, industries, and homes. Even with accessibility to wind and solar power, companies must burn fossil fuels to make the energy system dependable when nuclear power is lacking, since such sources are unpredictable. Nuclear power, according to supporters, is the only feasible path for a state to attain energy independence while simultaneously achieving its goals. They stress that the dangers of keeping wastes are low, and that current reserves may be decreased by utilizing waste to make fuels for future reactors utilizing cutting-edge technologies. Nuclear power has an outstanding operating safety rating when compared to other main types of power plants and it reduces adverse health impacts each year by avoiding pollution (Saidi & Omri, 2020).

Nuclear power has an outstanding operating safety rating when comparing to other main types of power plants and it reduces adverse health impacts each year by avoiding pollution (Völkle, 2020). (Are these authors saying the same thing in two different articles? Check. If so, cite (Saidi & Omri, 2020; Volke, 2020))

Critics still contend that it (New paragraph, say nuclear energy) presents many risks to humans and the planet, citing research that challenge whether it could ever be a source of renewable energy. Health hazards, fatalities, and ecological damage are all dangers associated with uranium mining, refining, and transportation.  Oppositions are concerned about attacks of nuclear facilities by extremists, diversions and abuse of radioactive fuels or nuclear wastes, and naturally-occurring spillage from the unresolved and unsatisfactory relatively long storage procedure of hazardous nuclear waste.  They further argue that reactors are very complicated devices that may and do fail, and that there have been numerous severe nuclear disasters. New technologies, according to skeptics, will not be able to minimize these dangers. They additionally claim that nuclear power is not really a low-carbon power source since all the energy-intensive phases of the nuclear fuel cycle are examined, from uranium mining through nuclear disposal (Prăvălie, 2018).

To sum up, there are significant financial expenses associated with the construction and decommissioning of a nuclear power plant, as well as the waste generated will be radioactive for hundreds of years to come, making it potentially dangerous for both people and the environment. (In this case, start the conclusion with a repetition of the thesis.) However, it is still an acceptable source of energy, as we have seen it has more positives than it does negatives. For instance, despite the fact that nuclear power plants need a significant investment to construct, they offer low operational costs as well as a long lifespan. As a result, they are very cost-effective. The vast majority of carbon dioxide (CO2) outputs connected with nuclear power plants occur mostly during building and fuel processing phases, rather than during the generation of energy. (Is this new information? Then it belongs in a body paragraph.) Additionally, a significant contributor to climate change is an overabundance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. As a result, the lower the carbon and greenhouse gas footprints produced by a power source, the more ideal. This is where nuclear energy comes in; when contrasted with other low-carbon alternatives, nuclear energy is not only environmentally friendly, but it is also dependable. As a result, whenever the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing, (This sounds like it was taken directly from the article. Be careful!) nuclear power steps in to keep the power running. In summary, nuclear fusion is considered to be the golden standard of energy harvesting. If we can master the art of controlling atomic fusion (the same processes that powers the sun), we might theoretically have an infinite supply of energy (Vo, 2020).

Reference

Agyekum, E. B., Ansah, M. N. S., & Afornu, K. B. (2020). Nuclear energy for sustainable development: SWOT analysis on Ghana’s nuclear agenda. Energy Reports, 6, 107-115.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484719311023 (URL not indented)

Prăvălie, R., & Bandoc, G. (2018). Nuclear energy: between global electricity demand, worldwide decarbonisation imperativeness, and planetary environmental implications. Journal of environmental management, 209, 81-92.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479717312227

Saidi, K., & Omri, A. (2020). Reducing CO2 emissions in OECD countries: Do renewable and nuclear energy matter?. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 126, 103425Vo, D. H.,

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149197020301773

Vo, A. T., Ho, C. M., & Nguyen, H. M. (2020). The role of renewable energy, alternative and nuclear energy in mitigating carbon emissions in the CPTPP countries. Renewable Energy, 161, 278-292.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960148120311691

Völkle, H. (2020). Nuclear energy. Opportunities and risks.

https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:52034149

Schrope, M. (2013, April 4). Nuclear power may prevent more deaths than it causes. Chemical & Engineering News.

https://cen.acs.org/articles/91/i14/Nuclear-Power-Prevent-Deaths-Causes.html