BENEFITS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY – PART 2

Thank you for going through Part 1. Here is part 2 of Nuclear energy. Read till the end to enhance the knowledge.

Desalination

Potable water is a major priority in sustainable development. The feasibility of integrated nuclear desalination plants has been proven with over 150 reactor-years of experience. Large-scale deployment of nuclear desalination on a commercial basis with reactors built primarily for that purpose will depend on economic factors. (11)

Medicine

Many people are aware of the wide use of radiation and radioisotopes in medicine particularly for diagnosis (identification) and therapy (treatment) of various medical conditions. In developed countries about one person in 50 uses diagnostic nuclear medicine each year, and the frequency of therapy with radioisotopes is about one-tenth of this. (12)

Nuclear-powered ships

Nuclear power is particularly suitable for vessels which need to be at sea for long periods without refuelling, or for powerful submarine propulsion. The majority of the approximately 140 ships powered by small nuclear reactors are submarines, but they range from icebreakers to aircraft carriers. (13)

Nuclear reactors for space

Radioisotope thermal generators (RTGs) are used in space missions. The heat generated by the decay of a radioactive source, often plutonium-238, is used to generate electricity. The Voyager space probes, the Cassini mission to Saturn, the Galileo mission to Jupiter, and the New Horizons mission to Pluto is all powered by RTGs. The Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers have used a mix of solar panels for electricity and RTGs for heat. The latest Mars rover, Curiosity, is much bigger and uses RTGs for heat and electricity as solar panels would not be able to supply enough electricity. (14)

Hydrogen, electricity, and cars

In the future, electricity or heat from nuclear power plants could be used to make hydrogen. Hydrogen can be used in fuel cells to power cars or can be burned to provide heat in place of gas without producing emissions that would cause climate change. (15)

Various Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy

Although the advantages of nuclear energy and plenty including low cost, sustainable, provision of a stable base load of energy and low pollution, it has it’s a fair share of disadvantages. Here is a comprehensive view of the disadvantages of nuclear energy.

Nuclear radiation accidents

The radioactive waste coming from nuclear power plants is a great threat to Mother Nature and humans. According to scientists, radioactive wastes take about 10, 000 years to neutralize. (16)

Radioactive waste

Radioactive material is considered waste after it has spent more than 3 years in the reactor producing heat and electricity. This waste comes from nuclear reactors and needs to be disposed of or stored safely and conveniently considering they are highly dangerous and can let off radiations if disposed of incorrectly. (17)

Requires high initial capital costs

Another practical disadvantage of using nuclear energy is that it needs a lot of investment to set up a nuclear power station. Constructing a nuclear power plant requires massive capital outlay. (18)

Eutrophication leading to the death of aquatic life

Eutrophication is extensive enrichment of the lake and other water bodies by nutrients, mostly due to runoff from land. This process causes dense growth of plant life eventually leading to the death of aquatic life as a result of lack of oxygen. Radioactive waste can cause this problem. (19)

Impact on humans

Terrorists can take advantage and deliberately cause a nuclear meltdown. This is why stringent safeguards including permission to construct a nuclear power plant and maximum security are put in place to mitigate this potential catastrophe from happening. (20)

It’s not a renewable energy source

The raw material for the generation of nuclear energy is uranium. Uranium is mined, which means it’s not available in many countries. It’s also a scarce resource. Most countries export this mineral for nuclear energy production. Once uranium is completely extracted, there will be no nuclear energy production. Because of its dangerous effects and limited in supply, it doesn’t qualify as a renewable resource. (21)

National Risk

Nuclear energy has given us the power to produce more weapons than to produce things that can make the world a better place to live in. We have to become more careful and responsible while using nuclear energy to avoid any sort of major accidents. (22)

If nuclear power plants are managed effectively and waste disposed of appropriately, nuclear energy can provide the most reliable, stable and clean source of energy to the world population.

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