Fox, M. H. (2014, August 13). The environmental case for nuclear power.
Oxford University Press. Retrieved September 7, 2014, from
http://blog.oup.com/2014/08/environmental-case-nuclear-power/
As the global atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide increases, so does the United States’ demand for electricity, which is predicted to increase 30 percent by 2040. The challenge is to meet this demand, but reduce our emissions. Despite renewable energy sources, we still heavily rely on coal, which produces two billion tons of CO2 per year. Nuclear power can replace coal, and virtually eliminate emissions. Despite the risks, no one has ever died from a reactor accident in the United States, and thousands die annually from coal- burning related diseases. Even globally, the worst nuclear accidents are localized, while coal constantly affects the global atmosphere.
Nuclear power definitely makes a strong environmental case when put in perspective. People get so caught up on freak accidents like Chernobyl that they fail to see that nuclear power can ultimately help solve the problem of carbon emissions. From an environmental standpoint, nuclear power is far from perfect, but our reliance on coal is disastrous. We have to accept that as of now, we cannot power the world on solely solar and wind generated energy. However, we have to act fast in order to cut our emissions, and relying more on nuclear power would, at the very least, allow for more time to find a better power solution.
I agree with your opinion on people being uptight on Chernobyl, nuclear power is the best answer, and if people are really uptight about it it should be built in a an area where it can be contained.
The fact that many people protest nuclear energy without looking at the upside is really too bad. If there is a possibility to extremely tighten durability and reliance on nuclear power plants in the near future than it may be smart to start using nuclear power in place of coal. But can nuclear power account for the energy usage that coal accounts for?