Alternative energy sources : nuclear vs alternative sources
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The demand for electricity increases with the growing population and industrialization of countries. We depend heavily on appliances like computers, televisions, fans, air conditioners and kitchen appliances. As we have to decrease our dependency on fossil fuels in near future, one of the many viable alternatives to producing electricity from fossil fuels is nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy is the power generated by splitting atoms in fission reactions. It is a clean, safe, and economical way of producing electricity. Today, nuclear power is supplying about 11% of the energy needs of the world. It produces large amounts of energy from very small fuel quantities, without generating much pollution. The nuclear waste generated in the process can be disposed off safely. In fact, many scientists tell us that nuclear energy is one of the best alternatives we have, because of the enormous energy generated in this process.
One of the key factors in determining how nuclear energy will compare to other alternatives will be how cost effective it is. It is very expensive to set up nuclear power plants. However, once they are operational, the cost of keeping them running is not high. They are very efficient (generating 80 percent efficiency) as well as clean-burning.
The advantages in choosing nuclear energy as the alternative energy are:
- Producing nuclear energy is not as expensive. It costs about the same as coal
- It does not add to greenhouse effect, as it does not create pollutants like smoke or CO2
- The waste created is very small. It is easier to contain and store. The risk of contained radiation to leak out is very low.
The disadvantages are:
- The waste produced is very little but very dangerous. It is radioactive in nature, and the radiation takes a very long time to render harmless. The waste has to be put in sealed containers and buried for many years.
- Safety is a huge concern in nuclear power plants, as anything going wrong can lead to major disasters. If something goes wrong, the effect could be far-reaching. There were reports of radioactive dust, called fallout, from nuclear accident in Chernobyl being found in UK.
- Nuclear energy from Uranium is not renewable. Once all the Earth's uranium is used, we will not be able to generate any more nuclear energy unless we find other alternative sources.
All said, nuclear power plants are not atomic bombs that are waiting to go off. They are not susceptible to meltdowns. The reactors have a lot of U-238 to slow the process down, while a bomb needs a high concentration of U-235. There are many safety mechanisms in place to help things not go in disarray.
Today there are more than 400 nuclear reactors across about 30 countries. Some of these have been up and running since 1950s. There have been rare incidents of things going wrong in this span of time.
Nuclear power is an alternative energy, which is significantly more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels and a definite alternative to the currently prevalent energy sources.