Running head: NUCLEAR ENERGY

Nuclear Energy

Gina Zavala Alvarado

College of Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1302: Rhetoric & Composition 2

Brenda Gallardo

October 25, 2020

NUCLEAR ENERGY

Introduction

Nuclear Energy is a way to create energy from splitting atoms inside a reactor to heat

water into a steam and by turning on a turbine, it generates energy. It offers more than 10% of

the world’s electricity. Nuclear energy is a controversial subject because some people think it is

dangerous to the environment and people’s health. Others believe that it is a safe and clean

alternative to other ways of producing electricity.

I believe that taking care of our environment for future generations to preserve the Earth

is something that we all humans should be aware of. In the past few years, more and more

contamination has surrounded earth as humans are not ecologically conscious. Having a green

energy is a very important factor to have to keep our planet free of contamination. Therefore, I

believe it is important to know if nuclear energy can potentially substitute other contaminant

energy sources (like gas or coil) in the future, or if we should stop nuclear energy now before it

causes an irreparable damage.

How does Nuclear energy work and how does it affect the environment?

In order to get a good insight of nuclear energy, we first need to understand the principles

of nuclear power. According to “How Nuclear Power Works”, the nucleus is composed of

protons and neutrons, which are heavily packed together, and because it is held together with a

great force, when they are split apart, energy is released. In nuclear power plants, neutrons

collide with uranium atoms, dividing them and creating a huge amount of energy. This split

releases neutrons from the uranium that in turn collide with other atoms, causing a chain

reaction. The uranium ore is sent to a processing plant to be concentrated into a useful fuel.

Nuclear energy affects the environment due to the disposal of high-level radioactive waste that is

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being buried underground. Also, when accidents happen, the effect not only in the environment,

but socially is devastating. However, it also gives a pollution-free energy source that is a lot less

aggressive to our environment.

How does nuclear waste gets disposed?

The waste that nuclear plants produce is highly radioactive, therefore, the disposal of it is

challenging. According to “How Nuclear Power Works”, by the end of 2011, over 67,000 metric

tons of waste had been produced by US-based nuclear reactors. That number increases by about

2,000 metric tons every year. However, about 97% of the waste is low-level or intermediate-

level waste, which means that it loses its radioactivity, and it can be disposed as regular waste

after some days or weeks. The other 3% is high-level waste, which stays radioactive for

hundreds of years, and can be dangerous for our environment. The Department of Energy of the

United States of America has been utilizing Yucca Mountain in Nevada and it is considering it

for long-term burial of the high-level nuclear waste, however, due to the cost of building full-

scale system of tunnels, it has not yet formally been chosen.

At this moment, low-level radioactive waste is being stored mainly in the nuclear plants

where it is produced, and high-level waste is being submerged underground. Most plants store it

using fuel cooling pools, which are big steel-lined tanks that circulate water using electricity.

During the mid-1970s, the waste was supposed to reprocess some part of the waste into new fuel.

However, one of the by-products is Plutonium, which cannot be reprocessed due to security

risks, low effectiveness regarding electric production, and more importantly, its use to make

nuclear weapons.

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In the case that a nuclear plant is shut down, if it is considered low level waste, the waste can be

kept in storage for an amount of time to give the radiation time to weaken.

Comparing nuclear energy to other forms of energy source, is it viable?

Comparing it to coal, 1 pound of uranium can create as much energy as three million

pounds of coal. We have a quite good amount of supplies of uranium left, compared to other

types of energy fuels. The Department of Energy estimates that the U.S. has recognized uranium

reserves of at least 300 million pounds, primarily in New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming. In the

United States alone, plants are using over 40 million pounds of uranium fuel yearly. Much more

uranium is likely to be available beyond our proven reserves. (Kharecha, P., & Hansen, J. 2015)

A study by NASA in 2013, found that nuclear energy is less dangerous as other sources of

energy compared to the deaths per unit of energy produced. For example, coal has around

100,000 deaths per 1000TWh of electricity produced and oil has 36’000. Even comparing the

most ‘environmentally friendly’ energy sources, solar has 440 deaths, while nuclear energy only

has around 90 deaths per 1000TWh of electricity produced.

Of course, these numbers are related to the deaths of unit of energy produced, so because

nuclear energy produces a quite big amount of energy compared to other sources, this number

might look smaller for the nuclear field. Regarding of the deaths, we know that there have been

nuclear accidents that had led to terrible consequences, the most known are Chernobyl and

Fukushima. We do hear a lot about these types of accidents in the media. However, we hardly

look at media centering about consequences that other types of energy sources can bring, like air

pollution due to the burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity. Additionally, running facilities

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are being maintained and strictly regulated by the government to protect the health and safety of

the environment and the people.

One of the main advantages of nuclear energy is that it can generate electricity without

polluting the air, like solar and wind energy. Nuclear energy has been evolving and as new

technologies emerge, scientists and engineers are working to improve the electricity production.

One example would be that scientists are looking for the possibility to use other types of fuel

different than uranium, like thorium. Thorium is more abundant in earth and produces less

radioactive waste.

Why is learning about nuclear energy overall effects important for today’s society?

I believe that taking care of our environment for future generations to preserve the Earth

is something that we all humans should be taking care of. In the past few years, more and more

contamination has surrounded earth as humans are not ecologically conscious. Having a green

energy is a very important factor to have to keep our planet free of contamination. Nuclear

energy is one of the more efficient method to produce electrical energy. Media sometimes

perceives nuclear energy as high risk and dangerous not just for the environment, but also for the

people. On the other hand, many scientists and governmental organizations like NASA agree that

nuclear energy not as dangerous as the media portraits it and that it is beneficial to produce

electrical energy to our country.

Learning about the functions, risks, and efficiency of nuclear energy gives people a

clearer understanding of the topic. By comparing it to other types of energy sources, nuclear

energy is not as dangerous as many people think and produces a large amount of energy that we

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consume. Realizing the effects and advantages that nuclear energy, might increase the

acceptance of power plants in our society.

Conclusion

Nuclear energy has been a controversial topic ever since it has been related to weapons

and highly radioactive waste. Due to its high radioactivity, it might affect people’s health and the

environment. However, it looks like, although there is the radioactive disposal factor, it is still

cleaner and more effective than other sources of energy. Nuclear energy has been evolving and

as new technologies emerge, scientists and engineers are working to improve the electricity

production and lower risks of contamination and radiation. Media sometimes perceives nuclear

energy as high risk and dangerous, but many scientists and governmental organizations like

NASA agree that nuclear energy not as dangerous and that it is highly effective compared to

other sources of energy.

I believe that with CO2 emission on the rise, nuclear energy will be one of the key energy

sources in replacing fossil fuels as our primary source of energy. This is because, although waste

disposal is its main disadvantage, it produces a great amount of energy nuclear fission resulting

in zero CO2 emissions.

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References:

Green, J. (2017, November 17). Don't nuke the climate! James Hansen's nuclear fantasies

exposed. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://theecologist.org/2015/nov/20/dont-

nuke-climate-james-hansens-nuclear-fantasies-exposed

How Nuclear Power Works. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2020, from

https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/how-nuclear-power-works

Kharecha, P., & Hansen, J. (2015, November 05). Coal and gas are far more harmful than

nuclear power – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet. Retrieved October 26, 2020,

from https://climate.nasa.gov/news/903/coal-and-gas-are-far-more-harmful-than-nuclear-

power/

Let's Talk Science, & 23, J. (2019, January 23). What are the Pros and Cons of Nuclear Energy?

Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/stem-in-

context/what-are-pros-and-cons-nuclear-energy

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