What are the Pros and Cons of Nuclear Energy

The applications of nuclear reactors as our maindollars it is hard to imagine that money will be left over
power source for the future is a huge subject offor research which could make plants cheaper and
debate, named The Nuclear Debate. The generation ofmore efficient. To get an idea of the scope of building
nuclear power from nuclear fuel for civilian purposes isthat would be necessary if we wanted to count on
a quest that 21 one companies are taking on for thegetting 80% of our energy from nuclear fission, we
first time since 1973. The Nuclear Regulatorywould need thousands of new plants. Nuclear
Commission reports they will seek permission to builddevelopment is therefore conceivable on the scale
34 power plants from New York to Texas. Multi billionnecessary only if it is backed by inappropriately large
dollar investments that were riding on the choice of aneconomic subsidies in the form of taxpayer funded
energy source are now being funneled into newresearch and development and risks.
nuclear energy projects costing several billion dollarsPublic subsidies and tax expenditures involved in
for each plant.research and security. The decommissioning of a
Supports claim new nuclear plants are needednuclear facility has unforeseen potential costs as we
because of the variable needs for different amountsdo not know what it may cost to dispose, safely of
of energy to be stored and released at different times.the nuclear waste and the taxpayers might pay for
This is also known as base power. Hydroelectricitythis risk. With new nuclear plant building beginning again,
comes close with it?s man made dam control thatalternative energy source development advocates are
allows us to release more power as needed but asalso worried about the lack of research and
the natural conditions must be in place the potential fordevelopment for other power sources. Because of
stored nuclear power is so much greater. Nuclearthe massive power potential of nuclear energy there is
energy supporters claim back up sources area danger that there could be a lock-in effect or the
necessary with other forms of energy like wind andcreation of market entry barriers for other sources of
solar because they fail to produce a constant supplyenergy like solar and wind energy. Other competing
or surplus of energy that is offered by nuclear power.energy sources still receive large direct production
The primary environment impacts of nuclear powersubsides and tax breaks in many nations.
come from Uranium mining, radioactive emissions andAs long as the subsidies continue to be given for
heat waste. The greenhouse gas emissions producedalternative energy sources while we enter a new ten
thru the nuclear fuel cycle are only a fraction of thoseyear nuclear energy plant construction period, energy
produced by fossil fuels. However, new nuclear powersolutions can come from many alternative sources
plants are considered unfavorable by anti-nuclearboth corporate and homespun, yet none with as much
organizations because of the initial cost of constructingenergy potential and on the massive scale of nuclear
them and the fact that a new plant will take 10 yearsenergy development.
to build. Because each plant costs several billion US