Nuclear Energy as Clean Energy

Nuclear energy has populated the lips of politicians on both sides of the congressional isle. It has its amazing benefits. Nuclear energy plants emit 70% lower Co2 emissions than coal energy plants (www.bbc.co.uk). Proponents of nuclear energy explain that the per kilowatt hour costs of nuclear energy are much lower than traditional forms of energy; however, proponents may not be taking into consideration the environmental costs of nuclear energy.

Very low environmental emissions lift nuclear energy onto a very abstract platform of environmental debate. Catastrophes such as the Ukrainian Chernobyl accident, the Pennsylvanian Three Mile Island incident, and the Japanese incident raise obvious concerns over radiation exposure and possible human death; however, these incidents should do more to raise concerns over our ability to manage these plants over the long term.

While the science behind nuclear technology is nothing less than impressive, no one knows what to do with nuclear waste. Our methods of dealing with spent fuel rods are only temporary, as we have thousands of years before the slow decay of the radioactive material would reach a safe point of contact with life. Considering such decay, can we assert that creatures will not be affected by our waste in 6000 years (www.nuclear-news.net)?

The Japanese catastrophe should open up yet another question: what happens when major natural disasters affect our nuclear waste vessels? The website WhatisNuclear.com explains that "nuclear waste is highly radioactive, and remains so for thousands of years. When it first comes out of the reactor, it is so toxic that if you stood within a few meters of it while it was unshielded, you would receive a lethal radioactive dose within a few seconds and would die of acute radiation sickness [Wikipedia] within a few days."

According to Scientific American, nuclear waste in the United States is stored near the facilities that have generated the waste. You can view a map of nuclear power reactor sites at the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Website, www.nrc.gov .