Nuclear Power and Its Effects on Economy, Environment and Safety

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Nuclear Power and Economy
Nuclear power and Environment
Nuclear power and safety
Reference List

Introduction

Virtually everything require some form of power for its running. For instance, the human body is able to operate on a continuous basis owing to the energy deposited inform of food.

This power must be made available if a continuous operation is needed. This is no more than an illustration of a machine operating like the human body. Since time immemorial, machines have in use, all of which rely on power. This power comes in a variety of forms and qualities. It can be in form of solar, wind, biomass, hydro-electric, geothermal, natural, or else nuclear, among others.

Of all these, the nuclear power is the latest, realized in the dawn of the 20^th century following the discovery some crucial radioactive elements and reactions like uranium and nuclear fission respectively, both of which constitute the nuclear energy. It is preferred to the rest owing to its positive impact, not only on the environment and safety, but also on the economy of a country and the globe at large.

Nuclear power is pollution-free and hence bringing no harm to the environment. It is also the backbone of economy and security following the establishment of nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons in that order. This overview checks into details this power in the aforementioned perspectives; Economy, Environment, and safety.

Nuclear Power and Economy

Nuclear power owes a lot to the economy of any country. The highest percentage of money is allocated to the oil energy expenses of virtually all countries around the globe. These expenses begin right from its importation, through its processing to its storage. This follows from the fact that all require energy but not all have a direct access to its source.

Therefore, to ensure the availability of this crucial requirement, the countries have to continuously allocate a good chunk of money for this, which on the other hand affects the countries’ economy negatively creating an economical problem.

The entry of nuclear power is no more than a solution of this. Its influence to the economy is amazing. “An economic impact study is forecasting a $550 million boost in Haldimand and Norfolk County economies during construction of a nuclear power plant in the Lake Erie Industrial Park. After nine years of this impact, operation of two reactors can bring in up to $180 million every year (Karen Para 1).

According to this article, it stands out that nuclear power and economy are positively correlated and the implementation of nuclear power plants, though expensive, can help bring a long-term solution to the troubled global economy.

“Proponents of nuclear power state that nuclear energy is the only power source which explicitly factors the estimated costs for waste containment and plant decommissioning into its overall cost, and that the quoted cost of fossil fuel plants is deceptively low for this reason” (Steve 15).

This shows that the presence of nuclear power energy helps lessen the cost of other energy sources which on the other hand backs up the financial system of the countries. This follows from the cheap operating cost of the nuclear power as well as its reduced transporting expenses.

Owing to the many folds of nuclear energy that result from a nuclear reactions in relation to other forms of energy, it is evident that this power alone can satisfy a country economically since it will always be available at reduced costs and will be utilized by all the machines that initially relied on the expensive fossil fuels. According to Kragh, nuclear power will of a paramount importance for countries like China and India owing to their swiftly intensifying economy (286).

These are the leading countries in energy consumption, and in order to maintain their growing economy, both opt to utilize nuclear power, giving it a credit on the expense of the rest. Currently, many countries have realized that this power is the only answer to their declining economies brought by their importation of energy like oil. They are now erecting nuclear plants to help curb this cost of importation which on the other hand will boost their economies.

Nuclear power and Environment

Before the establishment of any power plant, the issue of its effects to the environment is addressed first. This helps tell whether the power plant is worthy establishing or not. Almost all, but nuclear power, register the highest environmental pollution.

For instance, fossil fuels emit some highly toxic gases like carbon monoxide, among others, which on the other hand endangers the lives of any environ. “Nuclear power has been presented as providing net environmental benefits. Specifically, nuclear power makes no contribution to global warming through the emission of carbon dioxide.

Nuclear power also produces no notable sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, or particulates” (Moen Para 1). The aforementioned gases lead in the subject of environmental degradation. Nuclear power on the other hand, has been preferred because it emits none of these poisonous gases and hence environment friendly.

There is no flaming in a nuclear reaction neither does oxidation result as it happens in fossil powers. Instead, the emitted heat is in form of nuclear fission which stores the utilized materials within the reactor, other releasing it in form of wastes to the environment. “…the risks of storing waste are small and can be further reduced by using the latest technology in newer reactors, and the operational safety record in the Western world is excellent when compared to the other major kinds of power plants”(Bernard 27).

This is in favor of nuclear power in relation to the amount of wastes produced. In addition, nuclear wastes appear in solid form and is controlled by skilled people, who do not just dispose it anyhow.

It goes through recycling and finally properly disposed. A solid waste is less risky to the environment compared to a liquid one. For instance, a liquid waste will attract all sorts of organisms like mosquitoes and worms, subjecting the environs to the risk of disease attacks like cholera. Moreover, nuclear power does not produce green house gases which to a significant extend affect the environment. This then renders nuclear power environment friendly unlike all other power forms.

Nuclear power and safety

A lot of people have set out to argue against the issue of nuclear weapons while at the same time support the existence of nuclear power in relation to electricity. “Since World War II there have been several instances where countries have pieced together nuclear weapons from the fuel from peaceful research reactors”(Baxton 6).

According to this report, it stands out that nuclear power and nuclear weapons are highly connected and are made use by countries for their security purposes, following incidences like the World War I and II. The presence of nuclear power cannot exclude the existence of these weapons.

As pointed out by Dr. Amory Lovins, “Every known route to bombs involves either nuclear power or materials and technology which are available, which exist in commerce, as a direct and essential consequence of nuclear power” (Para 2). Therefore, the availability of nuclear power has also impacted the safety sector in the sense that, those who are able to produce the weapons are viewed as safe, though a threat to those who do not produce.

Reference List

Amory, Lovins. “Energy/War: Breaking the Nuclear Link” West Virginia, W, VA, 1981.

Baxton, Weil. “1952 Annual Report” Chicago: Commonwealth Edison Company, 1952.

Bernard Cohen. “The Nuclear Energy Option”. Web.

Karen, Best. Nuclear power plant could boost economy: Dunnville Chronicle: October 17, 2007

Kragh, Helge. “Quantum Generations: A History of Physics in the Twentieth Century” Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999, p. 286.

Steve, Thomas. “The Economics of Nuclear Power: analysis of recent studies” PSIRU, University of Greenwich: UK, 2005.

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