Get Your Green On

It’s crunch time on planet earth. People need to decide whether they will adopt nuclear power or live with the ramifications of global warming. The time to encourage the expansion of nuclear power is here. Nuclear power offers a clean, affordable, and relatively safe alternative to generating energy. Despite the fact that many companies have ample resources, such as can be seen in a BBG communications letter, where they have approx. 1.3 million acres of undeveloped land, the damage that is being done to the environment far outweighs the supply issues.

Nuclear power benefits the environment and everyone who reaps its ample output. Through the process of generating nuclear power, finite fossil fuels are not burned. Thus, detrimental emissions are decreased and the significant issue of global warming becomes ameliorated. Lawrence Grossman from Berkeley California stated that “between 1973 and the present, United States nuclear power plants prevented the emission of about two billion metric tons of carbon (New York Times).The growth of nuclear power lessens the dependence on the scarce resources. Vermont Yankee states that “1 pound of nuclear fuel creates more energy than 830 barrels of oil, 240 tons of coal, and five million cubic feet of natural gas (Entergy).” The environmental benefits alone prove the necessity to develop nuclear power. The expansion helps preserve the climate, and the nuclear power plants do not use up much space in relation to other forms of plants. The nuclear power plants cause limited, if any, harm to the environment.

Many malinformed individuals complain that the cost of producing nuclear power far exceeds the benefits. Rather, the growth of nuclear power could cost much less than its alternatives such as fossil fuel plants. The energy is renewable and the materials are at hand. Unlike the fossil fuels which must be mined and processed, the source of nuclear power – radioactive elements – can be acquired from the decommissioning of nuclear weapons.

Lastly, the expansion of nuclear power is a safe alternative, despite common belief. The only significant nuclear disaster occurred in 1986. Chernobyl marked the worst nuclear power accident in history, yet the immediate deaths totaled a mere 30 personnel. The radioactive aftermath caused an uninhabitable section of land of approximately 20 square miles, which in a large view is not significant. Chernobyl occurred from a result of design failures and a disregard for safety procedures. The kind of facility where Chernobyl was erected isn’t used anywhere else in the world. One other significant accident occurred on Three Mile Island. There were absolutley no fatalities because the safety equipment operated properly. Nothing in life entails no risk. However, nuclear power is safe. Plant procedures are monitored and managed by the government. Each plant must pass a number of safety regulations (Chernobyl Disaster).

Whatever decision we ultimatley make, we need to make it soon. Our decision will ultimately alter the future of the world. Concrete scientific evidence attests that people of the world must tap into the abundant nuclear energy. The expansion of nuclear power is the key to our survival.