NUCLEAR POWER

 [Locations of Reactors in the U.S.]

History of Nuclear Power

Physicists in the early 1900s discovered the principles of nuclear power. In 1939 German scientists found that splitting molecular bonds of elements like plutonium and uranium could generate energy. This process, known as nuclear fission, is the driving force behind our nuclear power today. Initially, this “great atomic power” was used for bombs like the two dropped on Japan during World War II. Amazed by the amount of power this fission generated the government and many people thought nuclear power was a miracle. By the end of the 1950s scientists had developed a way to use nuclear power for commercial electric purposes. In the United States, the first plant opened in Morris, Illinois in 1960.

 

 

How Does Nuclear Power Work?

STEAM REACTION, TURBINE AND GENERATOR

 

 

 

CONTROL ROD

Nuclear power plants use reactors made from uranium, plutonium, and other elements with unstable bonds, to make steam that drives a turbine in an electric generator. Atoms, the basic building blocks of all elements, are comprised of small structures known as electrons, protons, and neutrons. Held together by “the strongest force in nature,” when bombarded by neutrons a massive amount of energy is released. “Control rods” monitor the reaction by absorbing free neutrons thus controlling the amount of heat produced. Energy released from the reaction heats water to over 500 degrees F producing steam and spinning the turbines. As the generator spins a magnetic field is disrupted and electricity is produced. Finally, the steam is cooled - condensing back to water - and recycled through the entire process again.

 

Benefits of Nuclear Power

Benefits of nuclear power differ depending on who is disseminating the information. Initially, in the 1970s, electricity from such plants was incredibly cheap compared to the elevated prices of oil and gas. Those who support nuclear power say that it is the only large-scale source of electricity that does not create air pollutants or emit greenhouse gases. Supporters also stress that the amount of energy produced exceeds the fuel burned. Vermont Yankee states that one pound of nuclear fuel creates more energy than 830 barrels of oil, 240 tons of coal, and five million cubic feet of natural gas. Nuclear power plants are also work-intensive and therefore provide economic stability to many communities.

 

 

 

Concerns of Nuclear Power

While initially nuclear power seemed to be an answer to the problems of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, many people feel that costs far outweigh the benefits. Nuclear power is a non-renewable energy source. The process requires extensive mining of uranium which is one of the least abundant elements on the Earth. Harvested mostly in the Western U.S., the mines both disrupt the landscape and have severe environmental impacts: groundwater becomes polluted, radioactive tailings are left in the open, and heavy metals are released into soils and water. In the United States alone, there are 140 million tons of radioactive tailings that still need to be disposed.

Uranium is a radioactive substance and therefore causes severe health problems. Exposure to radioactive materials causes mutations on a cellular and molecular level; mutations that lead to birth defects, cancer, miscarriages, and death in many animals. Anti-nuclear activists claim that communities situated in proximity of a plant live in a “fog of radiation” that constantly toxifies the body. This constant exposure not only leads to noticeable diseases such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but also subtly effects the functioning of muscles and nerves.

Radioactive nuclear waste also poses a large problem. By 2015 American plants will have generated an estimated 75,000 metric tons of waste. While radioactive elements decay over time, U-235 (the uranium used for energy) has a half-life of 713 million years. This means that the tons of waste will remain radioactive long past any of our lifetimes! This waste is divided into two categories: “low-level” and “high-level”. High level waste refers to the fuel rods that catalyze the nuclear reaction at the plant. Since uranium and other radioactive elements stay hazardous for so many years, high level waste does not disappear. Currently, the rods are shipped to Nevada and held at a temporary storage site where they await permanent disposal. Low-level waste is also radioactive but not as concentrated as the fuel rods. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission states that shallow burial of this waste is acceptable. Currently, low-level waste is shipped to a dumpsite in a poor, mostly African American town in South Carolina.

Since two thirds of Vermont’s energy comes from nuclear power (Vermont Yankee), waste disposal is a big issue. Maine and Vermont recently made an agreement with Texas to dispose of waste in an area near the border of Texas. Like the site in South Carolina, this area contains many poor and underprivileged residents. While people certainly do not want radioactive waste nearby, many also feel that dumping it miles away is equally as horrific. ********************* (Vermont Yankee)

 

Economic Costs and the Future of Nuclear Power

Economically, nuclear power is also a problem: the costs outweigh the benefits. Poorly designed buildings and costly materials caused many plants to enter into debt at their outset. Many plants still have not been able to reduce their debt because of the oil crisis in the 1970s. Increased energy efficiency, inflation coupled with high lending rates, and public skepticism all contributed to a rise in cost for nuclear power. Today, many nuclear power plants are old and eroded, suffering from cracks and stress. Utilities that once cost millions of dollars are selling for a fraction of their construction costs and modern construction of these facilities is extremely costly. A recent plant in Darlington, Ontario cost the province over $13 billion. Thus, the story of nuclear power is a tale of ups and downs, minute benefits and huge costs. Nuclear power is becoming less appealing as increasing numbers of citizens are wary of its hazards. Only 16% of the world’s energy comes from nuclear reactors and alternative technologies are both safer and cheaper. According to an Ontario-based educative organization, one dollar spent on nuclear power can minimize seven times the carbon dioxide if the money went towards increased energy efficient technologies. Although nuclear power does not generate any greenhouse gases, since it is non-renewable, unsafe, and costly, we feel that other alternative energy sources are more feasible and environmentally sound.

 

Resources

Vermont Yankee’s home page that describes nuclear reactions, their mission, and the benefits of nuclear power.

 

Union of Concerned Scientists- a Boston based group of scientists that seek to disseminate information on environmental issues. This is a fantastic page with information on all facets of the environmental crisis.

 

Citizens Awareness Network- a group focused on ending all use of nuclear power. Very provocative and well organized page with numerous contacts and extensive information.

 

The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives- an international organization dedicated to local governments in sustainable development and improvements in global environmental problems. This specific page has facts on all types of energy.

 

Nuclear Information and Resource Service & World Information Service on Energy- an information and networking site for people concerned about nuclear power and energy issues.

 

Institute for Energy and Environmental Research- works toward increasing public awareness and participation in environmental policy and issues through the dissemination of science.

 

 

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