0
Nuclear energy in the United States is a very well self-regulated industry. US reactors are designed with negative-feedback, so a reactor that gets out of control naturally wants to shut down rather than meltdown. Even in the event of failure, US plants are designed with excessive amounts of containment and radiation is fully contained. Coal plants release more radiation into the atmosphere through burning of trace elements in their fuel sources than a nuke plant does.
Nuclear waste, on the other hand, is dangerous. When properly stored and isolated, its fine. However, most waste is stored on-site (instead of under Yucca Mountain, a proposed custom-built containment facility that got axed due to political reasons). There is potential for waste contamination as a result, but again the industry seems fairly well regulated by the NRC in this respect.
Of course, all of this applies to nuclear energy in the United States. Soviet countries ran more powerful but riskier designs that resulted in several notable accidents such as the Chernobyl disaster.
In short, the energy can be utilized safely and effectively. Harms from the system, like the harms of most sciences, result from errors in judgment and policy. In the US, nuclear energy is safe.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What is the most harmful energy used in the UK?
it is nuclear
What energy source releases harmful substances?
nuclear
What are some harmful energy power plants?
nuclear power plants
Why nuclear power is not the best way?
Bcoz production of nuclear energy form harmful radioactive elements.
Is nuclear energy harmful energy harmful?
It can be harmful - see Chernobyl. But in a well run industry the risks are very minimal. This is achieved by good design and careful operating techniques.
What is the possibility of uranium as future source of energy?
The energy of the nuclear fission is transformed in heat or electricity.The use of nuclear fuels is profitable on long term.
Is nuclear energy harmful to a pregnant women?
Its not the nuclear energy, per se, that is harmful, it is the ionizing radiation that comes from the nuclear energy that is harmful. Also, its not the pregnant woman that's the issue, its the developing fetus that's the issue. Ionizing radiation is extremely harmful to developing fetal tissue, because any errors introduced at this stage have a very risk risk of compromising the viability of the fetus. Last, and lets be crystal clear on this point... nuclear energy itself is harmful to no one. Its the "generation of nuclear energy", i.e. the reactor itself, the power plant itself, that is the issue, if, in any way possible, there is an issue. You would not want a pregnant woman working as a radiation worker any more than you would want to give a pregnant woman an x-ray.
How could nuclear energy be bad?
Just like any other energy can be bad - fire can burn, electricity can shock... Nuclear energy can have harmful radiations that can damage without proper precautions. In addition, there are no very satisfying alternatives at present for disposing of nuclear waste, so proceeding with heavy nuclear energy development is a bet that the future will find good solutions.
Is nuclear harmful to people?
I'm pretty sure nuclear has a bad affect on humans. It really depends on what you mean by Nuclear. If you mean Nuclear Energy, no. It is vital. If you mean Nuclear Waste, yes. It is deadly. If you mean the Nucleus of an atom. It is part you you.
How is using nuclear energy less harmful to the environment then using fossil fuels?
Because it does not produce greenhouse gases
Did the atomic bomb and nuclear use to help us or for harm?
atomic bomb caused harm while the nuclear energy can be both harmful(radiation) and harmless(for electricity).
Does nuclear energy create air pollution and carbon monoxide?
No. Its only waste product is the depleted core which is quite harmful.
