Nuclear Energy: A Problem Or A Solution?

Alyssa Emore

April 6th, 2020

EVR2001
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“Pro”

With our growing economy, technological and mechanical advancements, we’re left with

an ever-growing question, do we have enough energy to support all these advancements?

Scientists and engineers have been trying to answer this question for years, trying to find

alternative energy sources, energy sources other than the burning of fossil fuels. Our scientists

and engineers have come up with a variety of ideas to help with this question, from solar and

hydro power, to wind farms, to nuclear energy. The problem, risk. The benefits of nuclear

energy, such as its longevity, energy production, and safety standards, outweigh the risks

associated with the energy source.

While nuclear power plants are among the more expensive plants to build, the average

cost in 2009 being $9 billion per unit, their fuel is one of the most long-lasting (USC, 2015).

Uranium is classified as a heavy metal that was discovered by Martin Klaproth in 1789 (World

Nuclear Association, 2020). Uranium is the fuel used in nuclear power plants, and it’s through

the “burning” of this atom by fission, that heat is released in the form of steam to be used as

energy (World Nuclear Association, 2020). Uranium is a common element on the planet making

it an abundant resource for nuclear energy. Due to the longevity of nuclear energy’s fuel, nuclear

power plants tend to last a long time and produce an abundance of energy. These two facts make

nuclear energy a prominent source of alternative energy.

Another benefit to Nuclear energy is that despite producing at least 16% of world’s

energy, it’s the only energy source that produces energy on such a scale and yet have a

comparatively low impact on the environment (Elbaradei, 2003, 107). This furthers the idea that

nuclear energy is a reliable source of energy that could be sustained and proves to be not only a

minerally sound, but also environmentally sound alternative to energy as a result of fossil fuels.
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Despite all the benefits that come from the use of nuclear energy there are some who

question the health risks associated with the energy source. In an attempt to answer that question

and placate the public on the regards of health issues the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board was

created. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board creates the rules, procedures and principles for

the Department of Atomic Energy to follow (FRPT Energy-Snapshot, 2016, 58-59). Jitendra

Singh, the Minister of state for Personal, Public Grievances and Pensions for the Department of

Atomic Energy, goes on to say “There is no evidence to suggest that even a single scientist

working in any of the nuclear plants in India has suffered physical harm on account of exposure

to radiation” as well as states that the guidelines established by the Atomic Energy Regulatory

Board are among the best practiced in the world (FRPT Energy-Snapshot, 2016, 58-59).

The Department of Atomic Energy in centered in India, where there are at least twenty-

two nuclear power plants, in operation, and seven in construction (World Nuclear Association,

2020). In the United States there is the Unites States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which

works with the United States’ Department of Energy’s Energy Research and Development

Administration, to “manage the development, use, and control of atomic (nuclear) energy for

military and civilian applications” (USNRC, 2019).

During our age of technological advancements and a growing need for energy, nuclear

power is a possible solution. It’s fuel’s, uranium, commonality and sustainability are some of the

reasons that nuclear power is a plausible and prominent solution to our growing energy problem.

The Department of Atomic Energy and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board are making

constant strides to create a safer workspace for those working in nuclear power plants. These are

just some of the benefits that come along with nuclear power and further the idea of using

nuclear power to power our lives. The benefits of nuclear energy, such as its longevity, energy
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production, and low environmental impacts, outweigh the risks associated with the energy

source.

“Con”

Risk is a common and reoccurring idea in everyday life. There is risk involved in

everything we do, no matter who we are. As a student, one can risk failing a test, as a working

person, you risk arriving to work late, and as a commuter, you can risk an accident anytime you

get on the road. Risk is often a thought that lingers in the back of your mind, but sometimes it

can be at the forefront of your mind, especially when it is something outside your realm of

control. For example, nuclear energy. The risks of nuclear energy, nuclear meltdowns and

environmental damage, safety and a decrease in house price, outweigh the benefits of the energy

source.

A nuclear meltdown is “when the heat generated by a nuclear reactor exceeds the heat

that the cooling system is removing, to the point where the nuclear fuel elements reach their

melting points” (Weintraub, 1583, 2015). This is particularly dangerous because a nuclear

meltdown can cause an explosion that sends chemicals out into the environment. This happens in

a full meltdown due to the multitude of metal melted down into a “lava-like” substance that can

burn “through the concrete containment vessel, and can even restart the chain reaction fission

process at an uncontrollable rate” (Weintraub, 1583-1584, 2015). This results in contamination

in our environment, radioactive contamination. Contamination that eventually makes it way

through an entire system, and yet tends to still have effects as dangerous as when they were first

introduced.
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Nuclear energy and corresponding plants pose an issue to the safety of those living

around the plant. Not only do nuclear meltdowns pose a threat to human safety, but there have

been multiple accidents involving nuclear powerplants throughout the years. These accidents

include the Fukushima Daiichi accident in 2011, the Chernobyl accident in 1986, the Three Mile

Island accident in 1978, the Enrico Fermi Unit 1 accident in 1966, the SL-1 in 1961, the Sodium

Reactor Experiment in 1959 and the Windscale accident in 1957 (UCS, 2013). These seven

accidents span over fifty-four years, with varying causes and effects, such as radioactive releases

and deaths, but they all do paint a concerning picture on the safety associated with nuclear power

plants.

Another risk associated with nuclear energy and their plant accidents is an economic

decline in the area surrounding the plants. There is especially a noticeable decline in the

economy when prices markets are concerned. A study published in the Journal of Environmental

Economics and Management came to the result that suggested that “a significant change in

beliefs about the likelihood of a nuclear accident that resulted in a 10-20 percent decrease in the

prices of houses within 2 km of a NPP and a 3-5 percent decrease within 2-4 km of an NPP

relative to those 4-8 km away” (Tanaka & Zabel, 412, 2017). This result not only shows how the

fear of a nuclear power plant accident affects attitudes toward building more plants, but also on

the lives of those around the plants. A decrease in house prices makes it harder for a family to get

their money back when they sell a house, not to mention the fear of a nuclear accident

prohibiting anyone from wanting to buy a house in the area.

Nuclear energy has its fair share of benefits in the energy department and lasting ability,

but it also has its fair share of risks and drawbacks. Drawbacks that affect not only the

environment, but human health and the economy as well. These risks can as well have long
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lasting effects that take years to attempt to reverse. The risks of nuclear energy, nuclear

meltdowns and environmental damage, safety and a decrease in house price, outweigh the

benefits of the energy source.

“Opinion”

The concept of using nuclear energy as an energy source is a complicated one, with its

numerous benefits and risks it can make for a hard choice to make. It can’t be forgotten that

nuclear energy comes with its’ fair share of benefits and positives, but it’s risks and drawbacks

can’t be forgotten either. Personally, I feel the risks outweigh, and are more important to

consider and weigh-in in the long run when nuclear energy and their power plants are concerned.

The risks that follow nuclear energy and their plants are hard to ignore, especially when human

life is concerned.

One of the main risks to life and health is radioactive leakage. Radioactive leakage into

the environment doesn’t just affect the environment, it also affects those living in and on that

environment. It can damage food chains for species who need specific aspects of their

environments to survive, such as grass, crops and habitats. It can also eventually make its way

through the environment and the species who live there, until it affects the people who live in the

area and depend on it for food and other necessities. This exposure is made worse when those it

affects have preexisting conditions and weaker immune systems. Or the exposure could cause

long lasting health issues, such as cancer and radiation sickness, and at worst, it can even cause

death. And these affects could also occur on a larger scale, and not just a small, person by person

base.
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These risks pose some of the most important questions concerning the safety of nuclear

power plants. Safety that is further questioned by the numerous accidents that have happened

around some of the other nuclear power plants. Safety is always a question in everyday life and

the fact that nuclear power plants can further endanger human life makes them a large risk, no

matter the benefit.

A large driver in economy, business and sometimes life, is money. While nuclear power

plants supply a large amount of energy, they not only cost a lot to build, but they lower the costs

of the surrounding buildings, especially homes. This makes selling a home and buying

theoretically easier, but in practice harder. This due to the fact that homeowners won’t get back

the full amount they paid when they sell the house or individuals may not be buying due to the

risks surrounding the property.

These three components may be some of the worst risks associated with nuclear energy,

but they are some of the most important risks associated. These risks need to be considered at

every stage of development for a nuclear power plant, as well as before, and even after. These

risks again are only some of the risks associated with nuclear energy, and there are many more

out on the internet and in the news to be considered and weighed when making such important

decisions.

The arguments on nuclear energy risk are more concise with more statistical and past

evidence to support the ideas. This makes the risk over benefit argument more of a concern and a

better fought argument than the benefit over risk argument. Not to mention the concerns and

evidence bought up are ones that directly affect not only human life, but ecosystem health and

the lives of important, even possibly keystone species.

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Bibliography

Pro

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People and the Environment, www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/atomic-energy-
commission.html.
ElBaradei, M. “Benefits Of Nuclear Energy.” VITAL SPEECHES OF THE DAY, no. 4, 2003, p.
107. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
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“Need to Educate People about Peaceful Benefits of Nuclear Energy: Jitendra Singh.” FRPT-
Energy Snapshot, Feb. 2016, p. 57. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
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Con
“A Brief History of Nuclear Accidents Worldwide.” Union of Concerned Scientists,
www.ucsusa.org/resources/brief-history-nuclear-accidents-worldwide.
Tanaka, Shinsuke, and Jeffrey Zabel. “Valuing Nuclear Energy Risk: Evidence from the Impact
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Weintraub, Irene. “NEPA and Uncertainty in Low-Risk, High-Impact Scenarios: Nuclear
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