The way that nuclear energy works to produce electricity is a rather complicated process that can be
explained in simple terms. First, water that is boiling releases steam causing steam that is a steam-water mixture.
This steam then travels down a steam line causing the turbine of the generators to revolve which is what produces
electricity. Condensed steam then turns back into water and will become reheated again and the process continues.
A pressurized light-water reactor can also do this job of heating the water to produce the steam. All in all, the
reactor uses a process called nuclear fission to produce reactions that allow the heat to start. This is what is heating
up the water. Nuclear fission is when the atomic nucleus is split in an atom which causes energy to be released, in
this case it is in the form of heat energy.
There are benefits and drawbacks of using nuclear energy opposed to other types. An advantage of nuclear
energy is that almost no greenhouse gases are released while using it. Greenhouse gases do become released when
burning uranium though. Accident rates are rather low if the plant is well designed, and safety is the number one
priority. Also, acid deposition is not the result of nuclear power which is a big bonus in concerns with environmental
health. A disadvantage is that building nuclear power plants often costs three times the amount and can get rather
expensive. Also, waste storage is a big environmental concern as it could contaminate the area around the plant. A
natural disaster could contaminate a large area of the environment because of the radioactive waste material.
According to world-nuclear.org, depending on the type of radioactive waste, the disposal method should
be different. They say, “Disposal of low-level waste is straightforward and can be undertaken safely almost
anywhere.” Also, it says that if the fuel or material is used then it will most likely be stored in water for a long period
of time following being held in a dry area. There are several different methods of disposing of nuclear material, but
it all depends on the type of material that makes one disposal method better than another.
With all, I believe that our town should not use nuclear energy to support electricity. There is too much
ground for error and if one thing goes wrong, the entire city could blow up or worse the entire environment around
the town could be decimated or even contaminated for a long period of time. There are several benefits to the use
of nuclear power, but the drawbacks just make it seem like it is not a good idea to use it. The environmental benefits
are amazing until a natural disaster comes through which could cause contamination and a mass loss of lives.