Ervin, D. (2014, August 26). Confidence –the nuclear option [commentary]. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved September 8, 2014, from
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-nuclear-power-20140826%2C0%2C5377479.story
Maryland is attempting to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from electricity by 36.5 percent by 2030, and it needs nuclear power to do so. In addition to an existing nuclear power plant, newer designs enable the construction of plants that produce more energy than they use. Solar and wind energy systems only produce power about a third of the time they are active. Nuclear power plants, although expensive to build, produce power 90 percent of the time they are active, and only cost 2.14 cents per kilowatt hour of production. In the long term, nuclear energy is cheaper, cleaner, and an option in which Maryland must invest.
Nuclear energy is definitely an attractive option for clean energy since it can produce lots of power and emits virtually no carbon dioxide. Exploring safe nuclear energy options could be the task of future environmental scientists since it seems like a viable option for the nation’s power needs. The key word is safe, however, since hastily building expensive nuclear reactors without proper safety protocol and waste-disposal methods could lead to environmental and economic disaster.
Do you know how safe the energy produces from nuclear power plants is? I thought these plants would cause greenhouse gas emissions as well, just less, so do you know how good they are for the enironment?