Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy originates from the splitting of uranium atoms in a process called fission. At the power plant, the fission process is used to generate heat for producing steam, which is used by a turbine to generate electricity.
Pros and Cons
Pros
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Generating electricity in nuclear reactors is cheaper than electricity generating from oil, gas and coal, not to speak of the renewable energy sources!
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Nuclear power plants provide a stable base load of energy.
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The environmental effects of nuclear power are relatively light compared to those.
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It is estimated the amount of energy released in a nuclear fission reaction is ten million times greater than the amount released in burning a fossil fuel atom (e.g. oil and gas).
Cons
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High construction costs due to complex radiation containment systems and procedures.
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Waste lasts 200 – 500 thousand years.
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Target for terrorism (as are all centralized power generation sources).
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The waste produced by nuclear reactors needs to be disposed off at a safe place since they are extremely hazardous and can leak radiations if not stored properly.