Nuclear+energy

What is nuclear energy? In this simple diagram, a controlled nuclear reaction produces heat. Water is heated. This water turns to steam which is used to power a steam turbine. The steam turbine is connected to a generator which produces electricity. The nuclear reaction is either nuclear fusion or nuclear fission. The simplest reaction is achieved by creating a mass of Uranium 235 large enough to create a reaction.

15% of the world's energy is created by nuclear power plants. Yet they are expensive to build. The high construction cost has meant that nuclear power has not been widely adopted around the world. Global warming and rising energy prices, have meant that nuclear energy is receiving new attention as an alternative form of energy. There is also widespread concern about the link between nuclear power and nuclear arms. Uranium from spent reactor fuel rods can be used in nuclear weapons. The main debate is whether nuclear energy should be included in our plans to combat global warming and to help us meet a rapidly growing energy demand. Many questions frame this debate. Here are eleven major questions:
 * 1) Is nuclear power helpful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions?
 * 2) Can nuclear power ever be adopted on a large enough scale to become a real alternative to burning coal. (Coal-burning is the world's main source of electricity generation.)
 * 3) Does building nuclear plants contribute significantly to global warming?
 * 4) What environmental risks does uranium mining pose?
 * 5) What concerns surround nuclear waste? Can these concerns be addressed?
 * 6) How long will supplies of Uranium and nuclear energy last? Centuries?
 * 7) Even if it will run out in the future and is not "renewable", is it still worth pursuing nuclear energy now? Does global warming leave us no alternative?
 * 8) Do nuclear plants pose a risk of "melting down", or have modern nuclear plants eliminated the risk of another Chernobyl or Three Mile Island disaster?
 * 9) Are there any radiation risks to local communities and to workers at nuclear plants? Do they harm local ecology?
 * 10) Is there a risk of terrorist attacks on nuclear plants?
 * 11) Will more nuclear power plants contribute to the development of more nuclear weapons? Or is this an acceptable risk, if nuclear energy is seen as part of the solution to the global warming crisis?

//This page was originally created to help DAV Inter-school Debaters yet it also serves Unit 3&4 VCE English Issues and Arguments Reference []//