Jiansen Lu
The pros and cons of nuclear power plants
March 17th 2011 19:49
The Japanese Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant melt down due to a failure of the reactors' cooling systems in earthquake and tsunami. Poisonous radiation is released into the atmosphere causing air radiation 800 times intense.
Before this, many politicians suggest to use nuclear power to mitigate global warming due to that nuclear power emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). The diagram below shows how nuclear energy is generated by nuclear fission.
So what is advantage and disadvantage of using nuclear power plants?
Pros: Fossil fuels may run out in 100 years and produce more pollution than nuclear power. Nuclear power may take more than 1000 years to run out. Generally speaking nuclear power is reliable and safe.
Cons: The rods may overheat and melt down if loss of coolant water, similar to the accident in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. This will cause huge amount of radiation. The byproducts of the fission of uranium-235 from nuclear plants remain radioactive for thousands of years, requiring safe disposal away from society.
What do you think?
Video: How nuclear energy works
Before this, many politicians suggest to use nuclear power to mitigate global warming due to that nuclear power emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). The diagram below shows how nuclear energy is generated by nuclear fission.
Nuclear Fission
So what is advantage and disadvantage of using nuclear power plants?
Pros: Fossil fuels may run out in 100 years and produce more pollution than nuclear power. Nuclear power may take more than 1000 years to run out. Generally speaking nuclear power is reliable and safe.
Cons: The rods may overheat and melt down if loss of coolant water, similar to the accident in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. This will cause huge amount of radiation. The byproducts of the fission of uranium-235 from nuclear plants remain radioactive for thousands of years, requiring safe disposal away from society.
What do you think?
Video: How nuclear energy works
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