Nuclear Power

There is little debate whether we are facing an energy crisis or not. It is pretty evident that if we don't find an alternate source of energy, we are going to face a political, economic and enviornmental disaster. The search for oil has brought war and instablity. What if there was a source of electricity that was clean, renewable, cheap, safe and had a limited enviornmental impact. Well there is, and its called nuclear power.


Unfortunately, thanks to the anti-nuclear activists, there is a lot of fear in the United States on using nuclear power. There are around 50 institutions in the United States that are anti-nuclear, however one I've noticed one that really likes to the spew propaganda; it's Greenpeace. There are many misconceptions about the saftey of nuclear power that I am going to try to debunk.


First, lets ask the question; what is nuclear power? Nuclear power is the utilization of nuclear reactions to make electricity. Usually a process called fission is done, the breaking apart of atoms through the nucleus. Usually uranium is used. Uranium, is mined from the ground, usually in open pit mines. Uranium is a fairly common element in the earth's crust, 35 times more common than silver. It is then converted into yellowcake, once it has been mined. Then it is converted into uranium hexflouride and then enriched uranium once it enter a processing fascility. Fission is then used to produce electricity.


First of all people tend to associate nuclear power with nuclear bombs. That's kind of like comparing the study of biology to biological warfare, too completely different things. It's easy to see how nuclear power frightens people, after all the Greenpeace website discribes nuclear power as; "dangerous, high-risk, catastrophe." The truth is nuclear power is safe, clean, renewable and cheap energy.

First misconception is that people who live in the shadow of nuclear power plants are more likely to be exposed by radiation and are more likely to get cancer. However just about every major study conducted by the United States, Canada and Europe has concluded that the rate of cancer, including childhood leukemia, for people living near nuclear power plants is no higher than for those who don't. The fact is that nuclear power plants really don't release any radiation into the environment.

Second misconception is that there is a very big risk of having a nuclear disaster like what occured in Chernobyl during the 80's. Well eventhough the Chernolbyl incident was one of the worst technocological disasters in history, as time goes on, our nuclear technology is advancing and becoming far more safer. Experts say that the accident can really be blamed on the communist beaurocracy and incompitent personel, rather than the nuclear power itself. Yes, a nuclear power plant needs highly trained personel, but that can also create jobs and help make America more economically more stable. After all France is almost 100% run on nuclear energy and there has been zero reported deaths from nuclear radiation. Actually more people have died from other forms of energy extraction in this country. In 2003 alone, 30 coal miners lost their lives in coal mining accidents. Isn't it about time we had some intellegent presedential candidates that supported nuclear power.

Greenpeace argues that terrorists could plot to take over and destroy nuclear power plants. In that case we need to stop building skyscrappers, subways, trains and airplanes because these things are subject to terrorists aswell.

In the near future oil will run out. Inorder to prevent an oil apocalypse, automobile companies need to start building cars that run on 100% electricity; electricity that will hopefully one day come from nuclear power. With nuclear power we will able to stop global warming in its tracks and make this world a cleaner and safer place to live for everyone and everything. That is why it is important.