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How is nuclear energy environmentally beneficial?

Updated: 8/20/2019
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11y ago

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Contemporary nuclear reactions involve fission, which is the breakdown of volatile substances when an atom's nucleus splits into smaller, lighter parts. This process produces neutrons and photons and releases energy.

Nuclear energy has been a topic of contention among environmentalists for many years due to its perceived capacity to damage environments. However, as with any technology, as years pass regulations and standards increase to help ensure that such technologies become safer.

Chernobyl, Fukushima Dai-ichi and Three Mile Island are examples of how mismanagement of nuclear energy systems can result in environmental contamination and, in some cases, death. Resolving these management issues, and shutting down aging nuclear reactors, will offset the potential environmental impact of nuclear energy.

Another factor weighing against the use of nuclear energy is that waste is produced in the process that, while containable, can last for tens of thousands to millions of years depending upon the waste product's half life. Technologies are currently being developed that help to contain or convert the spent nuclear fuel into safer forms. Also, nuclear fuels are relatively rare compared to other fuel sources like biomass (which is highly sustainable) and cannot be synthesized (at least in quantities and for prices to make it at all useful).

However, measured overall, nuclear energy has resulted in far fewer deaths per year than other viable sources of power. Steffen Hentrich, of the German Liberal Institute, published a comparison of the various sources of energy available to us humans and the number of deaths per terawatt hour (TWh) per source. By far, the deadliest source of energy has been coal at 161 deaths per TWh worldwide. Oil falls into step next at 36 deaths per TWh. At the bottom of this list is nuclear energy, at 0.04 deaths per TWh (or about 40 deaths per MWh).

Nuclear energy produces far cheaper energy and less environmental pollution and, as technologies advance, the benefits of nuclear power, when added to other safe sources of energy generation, become clear.

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