Nuclear Energy: Yay or Nay?

The nuclear power plant found in the TV comedy, "The Simpsons"

    
     What powers our appliances at home? Why, electrical energy, of course. Everyone needs electrical energy but there are downsides to it - take, for instance, the sky-rocketing electric bills we get each month! This is mostly due to the high cost of power generation which is done in power plants that use fossil fuels such as coal and crude oil. Now, think about it -- what if there could be a cheaper, yet equally effective alternative? Enter nuclear energy, or the "energy of tomorrow".

     But, what is nuclear energy, really? According to Wikipedia, nuclear energy, or nuclear power, is the use of sustained nuclear fission to produce heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide for about 6% of the world's energy, and about 13-14% of the world's electricity.

     What are some good things we can get out of nuclear energy? Well, with nuclear fission being used in uranium, nuclear plants provide a million times more energy than a wind powered or hydro powered plant. Because of this, a large amount of electricity can be generated. Another big advantage is that it releases no greenhouse gases during the nuclear reaction. Because of the lack of greenhouse gases being emitted, there is very little negative effect on the environment. Nuclear reactors also make use of uranium as fuel. Fission reaction to a small amount of uranium generates a large amount of energy. Currently, the amount of uranium on Earth is expected to last for another 100 years.

     These all sound very promising, right? However, there is a bad side to everything, even to nuclear energy. For one, nuclear power can be used for the production of nuclear weapons which can cause a great deal of devastation to people and the environment. Because the energy produced by nuclear power plants is large, it also requires a large capital cost. And the time required to build a plant would be 15-20 years! Waste from used uranium is also highly radioactive and harmful. The radioactivity does not go away for some time and there have been problems regarding the storage and disposal of nuclear wastes around the world.

     

Chernobyl nuclear power plant

     And the biggest disadvantage of nuclear plants? The threat of a nuclear meltdown. Though the chances of an accident occurring are small, one small mistake could lead to very, very disastrous consequences. The meltdown in Chernobyl led to the loss of many lives and many mutations (not the X-Men kind), due to the radiation that was spread in the accident.

Fukushima Power Plant

     A more recent nuclear-related incident would be the one in Japan, at the Fukushima Power Plant. Around the world, the Japanese are known to be very disciplined and always prepared for any kind of disaster or tragedy, but they were caught flatfooted by the tsunami that hit the coast of Sendai including its nuclear power plants. The aftermath of the tsunami showed a picture of panic as dozens of Japanese power plant workers raced against time to try and stop a meltdown from happening. Radiation levels were high around the area and even the ground water was found to have been contaminated. This tragedy was a reminder that there are uncontrollable forces at work that we need to consider before taking big risks like nuclear energy.

     So, why are we talking about nuclear energy? Well, after our trip to the PCC, we headed over to the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (or BNPP) to learn more about nuclear energy. We were still tired from the coastal clean-up, nevertheless we were excited to visit the plant. We expected to learn about the workings of a nuclear power plant and to learn more about the uses of nuclear energy.
   
     Our expectations were high for this part of the field trip. The danger of radiation from a nuclear power plant usually makes it very undesirable as a tourist spot, but since this reactor was never used, it now makes for an excellent eco-tourism site.

     The tour felt quite short, actually, but it was very interesting. We went gaga over the control room. There were so many buttons around us, it took all of our willpower not to press all of them and see what would happen! But don't worry, they didn't teach us how to make some sort of nuclear weapon or anything... or did they? <Insert sinister laugh here.> Nah.

     When we regrouped, it came as no surprise that we had mixed answers when it came to this one crucial question - "Should we harness nuclear energy from power plants?" Dante, Nero and The Dragon Writer vote in favor of this. "The risks are easily outweighed by the advantages we would gain from this," Dante said. The Dragon Writer added, "It's like buying a car and not using it." Mikayla and Kelly, however, don't want to harness this energy, stating that "though it is more cost-efficient, the risks are far too dangerous, so why should we willingly put ourselves in danger?" How about you? Where do you stand?

     Well, that's all we have for now, BUT stay tuned for more updates about nuclear energy!

     Until the next post!