Rutaquio, Trisha Ann M.

ZGE 4301 - BCE

20180124714 December 03, 2022

M6: Activity No. 3

Are you in favor of nuclear energy as an alternative source of electricity in the country?
What are the pros and cons of using this energy source?

• INTRODUCTION

The energy source located in the nucleus, or core, of an atom is known as nuclear
energy. Once captured, this energy may be utilized to fuel nuclear fission, which
generates electricity. When used as fuel, uranium splits atoms into two or more nuclei.

Early commercial nuclear power plants began operating in the 1950s, giving many
nations across the world a substitute for their reliance on oil and gas imports and a far less
polluting energy source than fossil fuels. With 439 nuclear units now in service in 32
nations and another 55 more under development, nuclear energy now provides roughly
10% of the world's energy needs. In 2020, 13 nations generated at least 25% of their total
power from nuclear sources, with the US, China, and France leads market's share.

• PROS
Nuclear energy is safe and emits no greenhouse gases when generating power.
Many proponents of nuclear energy also contend that nuclear energy is to blame for the
fastest emissions reductions effort in history, citing major nuclear powers like France,
Saudi Arabia, Canada, and South Korea as examples of nations that built nuclear reactors
and experienced a clean energy transition as well as the fastest decline in carbon intensity.

Nuclear power has by far the highest capacity factor, according to the US Office of
Nuclear Energy, with plants that need less maintenance, can run for up to two years
without refueling, and are able to produce maximum energy more than 93% of the time
throughout the year, making them three times more reliable than wind and solar plants.

• CONS
The anti-nuclear movement opposes the use of this type of energy due to the
incident started by the lethal bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the World War
II and recently reopened following rising concerns over nuclear escalation in the Ukraine-
Russia conflict.
 The radioactive nuclear waste includes very toxic substances including plutonium
and the gas uranium particles. These substances must be carefully and permanently
disposed of since they may be exceedingly dangerous for tens of thousands of years.

• AM I IN FAVOUR?
I do support nuclear power as a potential source of electricity for the nation, but
only with the condition that the Bataan Power Plant be replaced with more advanced
machinery. According to the video I watched about Pia Arcangel's news broadcast, the
company's managers only remark that a power plant has a 45-year lifespan, but Jessica
Soho notes that senators doubt the area and believe there are several defects, therefore
it is advisable to replace it first.
The other reason I agree with nuclear energy is because studies claim that fossil
fuels like coal and oil pose a much greater hazard and kill millions of people globally
silently each year. The pro-nuclear movement takes advantage of the fact that nuclear
waste is not even close to being as hazardous as the poisonous substances produced by
fossil fuels. In fact, coal and oil are "invisible killers" that account for 1 in 5 global fatalities.
Globally, 8.7 million people were murdered by fossil fuels in only 2018 alone. In contrast,
only three accidents—the 1979 Three Mile Island accident, the 1986 Chernobyl
catastrophe, and the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster sparked widespread public
concern in the almost 70 years since the invention of nuclear power. Only the Chernobyl
nuclear plant incident in Ukraine directly resulted in any fatalities.

• REFERENCES:
Igini, M. (2022, October 3). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy.
Earth.Org. https://earth.org/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-nuclear-energy/