| France is a country that understands the power of | | | | other country in the world. |
| nuclear energy. The country creates the majority of | | | | The Cloud Over Nuclear Power |
| the power it needs with uranium and tall concrete | | | | Many people thing of these plants as being chemical |
| coolant towers that are synonymous with the | | | | nightmares, but they are really just different versions |
| alternative plants. While there is always a threat of | | | | of traditional fossil fuel energy sites. In both cases, |
| disaster, there have been more natural disasters such | | | | steam is used to move a turbine that generates |
| as hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes and tsunamis in | | | | power. Traditional means use coal and other fuels |
| the past year than meltdowns in the history of | | | | while nuclear power plants use uranium and fission to |
| nuclear power. | | | | heat the water. Uranium is naturally radiant because it |
| As of 2008, there were 490 plants producing | | | | exists in a state of constant, slow-moving fission. |
| alternative energy from uranium via nuclear fission. | | | | Speeding up that process is all the plants do to |
| Some of these plants are responsible for providing | | | | create heat and electricity. |
| the majority of the power to their countries and | | | | Once people better understand how power is made |
| others simply supplement the current power supply. | | | | and what these tall cooling towers mean to their |
| France and Lithuania produce more than 50% of their | | | | livelihood, the negative cloud soon dissipates. While |
| total energy in this way. The United States only | | | | there are risks they are often no different from |
| produces 20%, but uses more energy than any | | | | those of any other electric producing plant. |