Expansion into Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy is a form of energy that is made in a Nuclear Power plant. The power plants work by making mini Nuclear explosions of uranium. This releases a lot of energy that heats up water so it turns into steam. The steam goes up into the turbines, creating electricity. Then the steam escapes like you might see right now. This process is very wasteful and dangerous. That is why scientists found a new, safer, less wasteful, different way. Now nuclear energy could be a very efficient and clean energy source that we should use a lot more of.
Before we get into all this stuff about Nuclear energy and why it should be used, let me give you some background history. Atomic radiation was first discovered in 1895 and they knew that they could do something with this new discovery. But Nuclear fission was only discovered in 1938 by Otto Hahn and his assistant Fritz Strassmann. It was then developed fully by 1945. Most of the last 6 years or so were spend more on bombs though. Then the first nuclear power plant was completed in 1954 by USSR. But the first commercial electricity-generating plant that used nuclear energy was in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. It reached its full design power in 1957. Since then Nuclear has continued to get more and more advanced. Only recently did we realize how much damage we were doing with this technologie (like many other things). So scientist went hard at work to find a new way to create nuclear energy.
This new process works with fusion instead of fission unlike the old process. The new nuclear power works the same way as the sun. Atoms fuse with each other creating large amounts of energy. This still comes with some by products like helium. But these don’t have as bad effects as what is left in fission. This method produces a lot more energy with a lot less waste.
Modern nuclear energy is the most efficient way of making energy. But the old reactors are “like opening a water bottle, taking a sip, and throwing it out.” said in the video The fight to rethink (and reinvent) nuclear power. But a women named Leslie Dewan found a way to fix it, explained in the previous paragraph. But these power plants will not begin construction until 2030-2050. But in the article, What’s next for nuclear? Gabriela Quirós said, “A recent EPA study shows that in order for the country to reduce its carbon emissions enough to slow down climate change, it will need to boost its nuclear energy production.” And who knows if it will be too late by 2030-2050?
Some might say that nuclear power is very unstable and dangerous but in the same article they mentioned, “Proponents of nuclear energy say that the risks of an accident should be weighed against the health effects from burning fossil fuels. The American Lung Association estimates 13,000 people die in the United States each year from breathing soot particles from coal-fired power plants.” If you add that up, that is a lot more people than have ever died from Nuclear power. Also, these new power plants that they would build are made virtually impossible to have a meltdown.
In conclusion, nuclear energy is clean, safe, and efficient. And people just found a way to make it even cleaner, safer, and more efficient. It is way safer than oil and coal burning. It is also cleaner by a long shot. Nuclear energy may have a bad name right now, but it is quickly earning back a great name. Nuclear energy is the energy of the future.
Citations:
What's Next for Nuclear? by Gabriela Quirós. And
The fight to rethink (and reinvent) Nuclear Power by Vox
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