DiFante 2
Lindsey DiFante
November 21 , 2014
Period 4
Nuclear Sustainability
The denotation of nuclear power is merely “electric or motive power generated by a nuclear reactor” .
However , the connotation is completely different .
Although nuclear power may seem extraordinary and the wisest thing to use , the overall impacts of this power source are far too dangerous to even consider continuing nuclear power .
Certain governments and industries promote nuclear power as a clean , reliable energy source , yet it is quite the opposite .
Nuclear power leads to various environmental dilemmas , creates power loss generated by nuclear power and can be replaced by a safer and more efficient power source .
Nuclear power is the cause of severe environmental trauma and extreme destruction that are completely preventable .
For example , the tragic accidents at Chernobyl , Russia in 1986 and at Tokaimura , Japan in 1999 prove that nuclear power is exceptionally dangerous and practically incontrollable .
Those who worked at the power plant and were close to the reactor received high doses of external gamma radiation , which was fatal to the majority of workers .
The other workers were diagnosed with ARS , (acute radiation syndrome) , and later died due to the disease .
Power plants across the world are not built entirely safe; most are full of leaks and contamination .
The government plans to bury the nuclear waste underground to prevent it from escaping , yet it creates an extremely toxic legacy thousands of years to come .
Another example of health impacts are the effects of uranium extraction .
Extracting uranium is damaging to both the environment and humans .
Uranium mining has exposed workers in the United States to lung cancer and to contamination to areas surrounding the power plant .
Much of the waste from these mines has never been cleaned up .
40% of lung cancer deaths in uranium miners are due to radon and uranium exposure .
As for the environment , large quantities of contaminated water are sent out of the mines and into rivers and lakes close by .
Uranium mining also adds to the amount of carbon monoxide in the air .
Furthermore , Nuclear power adds to the mount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere .
The greenhouse gases produced from nuclear power plants include carbon dioxide , carbon monoxide , nitrous oxides , and sulfur dioxides .
Greenhouse gases are a key cause of global warming .
According to timeforchange .
org , nuclear power is indeed a more calamitous issue than Global Warming , one of the most talked about issues in this generation .
Nuclear power plants produce 1 , 100 tons of carbon dioxide per gigawatt per hour .
Although some nuclear power activists claim that nuclear power is actually a solution to global warming , the nuclear reactors will not solve the problem in time .
It is planned to have ten new reactors built by 2024 , yet the carbon emissions would only be reduced by four percent .
That would be such a minute change that in the long run it would just be a waste of money and resources we cannot replace .
Due to the vast array of dangers and impacts , nuclear power is not worth risking the safety of life and the environment .

DiFante 2
In order to make up for power that would no longer be generated if we got rid of nuclear stations , we could turn to other renewable sources of power like wind or solar .
Nuclear reactors must be discontinued gradually , we cannot simply shut them all off because there would not be enough power supply to the grid .
Instead , we should use a more gradual approach that replaces one nuclear station with one renewable resource at a time .
For instance , if we were to shut down one nuclear reactor we should open a wind or solar farm at the same time to make up for lost power .
If we were to shut them all down at once , we wound not have nearly enough power for society’s demands .
A plausible alternative for nuclear power is both solar and wind energy .
Those who use these energy sources have yet to see a catastrophe like those at Chernobyl and Tokaimura .
Even if a catastrophe did occur due to solar energy , the solar array or a wind farm would not have to be abandoned like in Chernobyl and Tokaimura .
Moreover , the nuclear industry has to ship thousands of tons of radioactive material around the country .
The means of transportation is not heavily secured , and if a something interacts with the material a catastrophic event could occur to those within the vicinity .
This event would consist of not only obvious destruction , but also cancer causing radiation .
Unfortunately , nuclear power plants are also a target for terrorist attacks due to the devastating outcomes of a nuclear waste spill .
No power plant is built strong enough to withstand an attack , and this poses a threat of radiation poisoning to the entire world .
The waste produced at these power plants can also be turned into nuclear weapons .
The knowledge of how to build a nuclear power plant can also be used to create a nuclear weapon , which could be leaked to the public .
Additionally , these renewable powers are more versatile than nuclear power .
A solar panel or wind farm can be placed nearly anywhere , whereas a nuclear reactor has limited availability in communities .
Practically anyone has access to these sources of power .
Any business or home can install one , while a nuclear reactor is rarely seen in most cities .
Another advantage of solar power is the fact that it is renewable .
We can never run out of solar energy , while nonrenewable sources like nuclear power are limited .
Solar energy is also extremely abundant .
Earth receives 120 , 000 terawatts of solar radiation (sunlight) , which is
20 , 000 times more power than needed .
In addition , solar and wind energy is sustainable and there is no way to over-consume it .
Furthermore , it allows homeowners to cut their overall electricity cost .
Solar panels can help save $100 every month .
In Hawaii , those who use solar panels save $64 , 000 in 20 years .
Another example of the expenses of nuclear power is that it costs about $156 billion of the public’s money to clean up the waste .
Also , the overall price of building a new reactor is far too extreme to even consider .
It is practically an illusion to build new reactors in such a short time period .
For example , the new reactor in Finland’s construction was delayed 18 months and the cost to complete it spiraled up two billion euros over their overall budget .
Solar panels also require minimal maintenance and are less likely to break and cause destruction or illness due to their lack of waste dispersed .

DiFante 2
Solar energy is a great alternative to nuclear power , yet it is not perfect .
It may need implementation with other forms of power as well .
Solar and wind energy are not the end all be all solutions , yet they are clearly a more favorable alternative at this point in time .
The future for renewable resources is bright .
As the technology behind renewable alternatives advances , things can only get better .
Solar and wind farms will become more advanced and more efficient , to the point where they are generating far more energy than their nuclear counterparts ever could .
Keep in mind; they will be doing this without using up precious resources or creating toxic waste products .
Nuclear power was once the way of the future .
Now , as society has advanced and people have become more aware of their impacts on the environment , nuclear power is no longer as promising of a resource .
To those who firmly believe that nuclear power is the right choice , please look at the overall picture .
Yes , nuclear power is cheap and easily accessible , yet the damage it is doing to our bodies , the environment , and our wallets is unacceptable .
The overall impacts of this energy source are far more expensive and harder to manage .
If we adapt solar or wind as our permanent source of energy , our health , environment , and overall expenses will be saved .
Solar and wind energy is currently the most abundant resource and we can rely on them to generate power for generations of years to come.