Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy is the process of splitting uranium atoms by using a process called fission. This process is used to create heat for producing steam that is used for a turbine to generate and create electricity. Some of the pros for using nuclear energy are that it is an emissions free energy source because nothing is burned to create the electricity. Nuclear energy doesn’t emit carbon dioxide or other harmful gases that may cause global warming. Another positive aspect is that it doesn’t discharge any harmful pollutants into the water system and doesn’t have a negative impact on aquatic life. The technology is already available and doesn’t have to be developed first. One more positive thing about the use of nuclear energy is that it can generate high amounts of electricity with just one nuclear power plant.
Cons about nuclear energy are the radioactive waste created, a meltdown or accident would cause humans and wildlife to suffer, they can be potential terrorist targets, the energy source for nuclear power plants is uranium which is a scarce and limited resource, and it can take a long time to build a nuclear power plant. The estimated time is from 20 to 30 years to build and get one up and running. Another problem with nuclear energy is that it is not a renewable resource because it uses uranium to power it and that source is scarce and is only projected to last 30 to 60 years.