There certainly are pro’s and con’s for nuclear energy and there is also a lot of misconception on how nuclear energy works.

Nuclear power is a naturally occurring phenomenon, as in the fusion reactor which constitutes our sun and all stars in the universe, nuclear power is neither good or bad, it simply exists. Man’s use of the energy which is released from nuclear fission or fusion can be value judged as good or bad, however, and as with most value judgements, the determination of good or bad is a matter of opinion. No one considers the energy which is released by the sun to be “bad” and it is considered the touchstone of “renewable” energy. When the nuclear reaction is started and controlled by man, though, some consider this to be unnatural and “bad”. As with any value judgement, the individual is free to have any opinion they like and guide their life accordingly. When that opinion is inconsistent with a successful society, then the costs must be weighed carefully in their application to public policy. If the energy released is used for generally accepted positive ends, then that use is generally accepted as “good”. If the energy released is necessary to the functioning of the society, the use is more “vital”.

Pro’s of nuclear energy
* Fuel is inexpensive
* Energy generation is the most concentrated source
* Waste is more compact than any source
* Extensive scientific basis for the cycle
* Easy to transport as new fuel
* No greenhouse or acid rain effects

Con’s of nuclear energy
* Requires larger capital cost because of emergency, containment, radioactive waste and storage systems
* Requires resolution of the long-term high level waste storage issue in most countries
* Potential nuclear proliferation issue

Nuclear energy already provides about 20% of electricity for America. There has been some good discussion about alternative energy options and someone pointed out (which I agree with) that there should be no single source of alternative energy, but multiple sources to ensure that we are not dependent on just solar, or just wind, or just nuclear. Each one of these sources can fill a need in our energy consumption.

Learn more about nuclear energy

You can read some FAQ’s about nuclear energy that John McCarthy put together. And to learn more about nuclear energy in general, visit the Nuclear Energy Institute.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 at 11:37 pm and is filed under Nuclear Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.