Have you ever heard about the impact of nuclear energy on human beings and the environment around us? Well, don’t worry because, in this article, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy. Let us first start with nuclear energy.
What is Nuclear Energy?
Nuclear energy is the energy that is produced from the fusion and fission of larger atoms such as Uranium. In nuclear fission, the electron is bombarded on one atom to split it into two atoms which produce a larger amount of energy. In the case of nuclear fusion, two atoms combine together or fuse to form a single powerful atom which has relatively much higher energy. Nuclear energy is so sustainable that almost 20% of electricity in the United States is produced from nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy became popular after 1934 when, Italian Scientist, Enrico Fermi blasted Uranium atoms. After that nuclear power plants were developed and then, nuclear energy got insane importance which is still maintained today. Nuclear energy is mostly used for the production of electricity.
Advantages of Nuclear Energy:
Green Energy:
Nuclear energy is considered as the cleanest form of energy. Because if you consider the other fossil fuels then, they produce harmful gases like sulphur dioxide, and carbon dioxide after their combustion. But nuclear energy does not produce any type of these greenhouse gases. Moreover, the nuclear fuel that is sometimes left after the use of nuclear energy is being recycled for the production of the fissile materials. Some of the countries in the world recycle and use the previous fossil fuel rather than disposing of it. These countries include Russia, China, and Japan.
A Reliable Source of Energy:
Another plus point of nuclear energy is that it is the most reliable source of energy. It can give users consistent electricity without any discontinuity for years. Nuclear energy also plays a crucial role in increasing the life of reactors for almost 20 years.
For constructing a solar power plant or wind turbine power plant, more area is required. But you can set up a nuclear power plant in relatively less area efficiently. It is also a high energy density source. You will be amazed to know that the energy released after the fission process is 10 million times larger than the energy released after the burning of fossil fuel. Nuclear energy is a non-renewable source of energy but it is sustainable.
Cost-effective:
For the production of electricity from nuclear energy, low cost is required. Hence, it becomes profitable for big corporations to generate electricity from it.
After talking about the advantages of nuclear energy, let us take a quick glance at its disadvantages.
Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy:
Large Capital Installment:
For setting up the nuclear power plant, a huge amount of investment is there. For their construction, almost a billion dollars are required. Also, keeping the maintenance of the nuclear power plant is also challenging.
Harmful Radiation:
Though nuclear power plants don’t produce greenhouse gases, they give rise to radiation. This radiation is dangerous for human beings as well as for plants and animals. Radiation results in thyroid cancer in the human species. Due to radiation, the growth of the plants may be affected.
High-risk Job:
Working around a nuclear power plant is a quite risky job because a single mistake can destroy the entire environment around nuclear power plants. Proper safety measures and precautions should be taken to avoid accidents happening around nuclear power plants.
After going through both the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy, it is seen that the future of nuclear energy is promising and it can reduce the need for fossil fuels. Technological advancements will result in using nuclear energy in the most proper way.
Thanks for reading the pros and cons of nuclear energy. If you have any questions or queries about nuclear energy then, please let us know in the comments.
