The Nuclear Option
Thirty-five years ago, a nuclear
reactor exploded. It happened at
the Chernobyl Power Complex in
northern Ukraine. Radioactive gas
and dust spewed high into the
atmosphere. Two workers died
immediately. Some 28 more
people died within a few weeks
due to radiation poisoning. As
well, 350,000 people were
evacuated because of the accident.
The 2600-square-kilometre area
around the former power plant is
still an exclusion zone.
The Nuclear Industry
Chernobyl was one of the world’s
worst nuclear power accidents. It
left a big black mark against the
nuclear industry.
Not surprisingly, the construction
of new nuclear reactors dropped
dramatically after the accident. In
the 1990s, nuclear energy supplied
17 percent of the world’s
electricity. Today? Just 10 percent.
There are currently some 440
commercial nuclear reactors in 31
countries. Only Russia and China
are constructing new nuclear
power plants.
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But the tide may be turning. The
threat posed by climate change is
renewing interest in nuclear power.
The world is moving away from
dirty fossil fuels such as coal, oil,
and gas. It is turning to cleaner
energy sources.
So nuclear energy is looking
better. After all, emissions from
nuclear power plants are similar to
those from renewable sources.
However, nuclear power plants can
operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. They are not limited by the
way the wind and sun behave.
What's more, the
Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change has made it clear.
At least 80 percent of the world’s
electricity must be low‑carbon by
2050 to slow global warming. Yet
global demand for electricity could
increase by as much as 130 percent
by 2050. Many believe we can't
meet that demand without nuclear
power.
Nuclear Power 101
A nuclear power station is like a
fossil-fuelled power station. It
generates heat used to make steam.
That steam spins a turbine to drive
What in the World?
a generator producing electricity.
However, in a nuclear reactor, heat
isn't generated by burning fossil
fuels. It's generated by splitting
uranium atoms. This process is
called fission. Think of it as the
most complicated way possible to
boil water.
Uranium is a heavy, silvery-grey
metal, common in the Earth’s
crust. Canada has a big supply of
it.
Before it can be used in reactors,
the metal must be processed into
little pellets. These pellets are
sealed into thin metal tubes known
as fuel rods. The rods are then
welded together into fuel bundles.
There might be 51,000 fuel rods
with over 18 million pellets in a
typical large reactor.
Nuclear fission happens at the sub-
atomic level. When the nucleus of
a uranium atom captures a moving
neutron, it splits in two. That
releases energy in the form of heat.
At the same time, it throws off two
or three additional neutrons.
Enough of these expelled neutrons
can cause the nuclei of other
uranium atoms to split. That
releases further neutrons, causing a
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fission 'chain reaction'. When this
happens millions of times, a huge
amount of heat is produced. All
this takes a fairly small amount of
uranium.
A substance called a moderator
surrounds the fuel bundles. Water
and graphite are common ones.
They slow the neutrons, making
them more likely to be absorbed
into fuel rods.
Mini Reactors
Tomorrow's nuclear reactors could
be a lot smaller. They could also
be less costly to build than the
large ones of today. Canada is
looking into developing so-called
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
They could produce enough
electricity to power a remote
community. Or, they could add to
the electricity in the grid.
Pros and Cons
Supporters of nuclear energy say
new technology makes it much
safer now. They believe nuclear
energy is a practical way to get
more low-carbon electricity.
But critics point out the problem of
nuclear waste. Fuel bundles need
replacing about every three years.
The issue? Spent ones stay
radioactive for eons. And so far,
the industry has not found a safe
way to dispose of them.
Nuclear reactors also get a bad rap
because of nuclear weapons. Inside
a warhead, nuclear fissions occur
in a fraction of a second. The result
is a massive explosion. What if
countries acquiring nuclear
technology for electricity use it to
develop weapons?
Others say nuclear power is too
costly. As well, it could take a
decade to get new power plants
operational. And we need cheaper
low-carbon energy, such as wind
and solar power, now.
The environmental group Friends
of the Earth agrees. Nuclear
power, it says, is “a discredited and
dishonest distraction, not a
solution.”

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Canada's Nuclear Program
Canada has a long history of nuclear energy research and development. The government established the
Chalk River Laboratories near Ottawa in the 1940s. It is the focus of much of the world’s research into
the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
In the late 1950s, Canada developed a unique nuclear reactor technology, CANDU (Canada deuterium
uranium). Today there are 31 CANDU reactors in use around the world, and 13 additional reactors in
India developed from the CANDU design.

Radiation
Radiation is energy transmitted in waves or streams of particles.
We are exposed to radiation in our everyday environment. It comes from the Sun, soil, rocks, radon gas,
even medical x-rays.
Radiation damages the cells in the human body. Low levels are not dangerous, but medium levels can
lead to sickness, headaches, vomiting, and a fever. High levels can kill you by causing damage to your
internal organs. Exposure over a long time can cause cancer.

eon: an immeasurably or indefinitely long period of time radioactive: containing radiation

exclusion zone: an area into which entry is forbidden

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Comprehension Questions

1. Explain how a turbine is made to spin in any power station. What happens when this turbine spins?

2. What is the main difference between a conventional power plant and a nuclear power station?

3. How is uranium fuel prepared so it can be used in a nuclear reactor?

4. List the steps involved in producing nuclear energy through fission.

5. Describe what happened in northern Ukraine in April, 1986.

6. How many nuclear power plants are currently in operation around the world?

7. List at least two reasons in favour of nuclear energy.

8. List at least two reasons against nuclear energy.

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Questions For Further Thought

1. Dr. M.V. Ramana of the University of British Columbia's School of Public Policy and Global Affairs calls nuclear
energy "the most controversial source of power." Several scientific advocates for nuclear energy defend its use while
environmental groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth point to safer forms of renewable energy.
As you see it, what are the considerations that the federal government needs to take into account when deciding
whether or not to increase Canada's reliance on nuclear energy? Explain.

2. The article states that according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global demand for electricity is projected
to increase by between 80 and 130 percent by 2050. What do you suppose some reasons might be for this increase?
Give examples to support your ideas.

3. Canada ranks among the top ten countries in energy use per capita. It has the third highest carbon dioxide emissions
per capita in the world, after Saudi Arabia and the United States.
a) As you see it, why might Canada be so high on this notorious list?

b) What would you suggest that the Canadian government put in place to reduce our country's carbon emissions?

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Questions For On Line Exploration

Note: The links below are listed at www.lesplan.com/en/links for easy access.
1. Visit https://www.globalgoals.org/ and determine which of the 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development might be
related to the use of nuclear energy.

Next, view this video to compare your ideas with those of Osama Baig, a nuclear engineer working in the Canadian
Nuclear Industry: https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=RwVF_vW_Yso

2. Climate change is affecting every country on every continent. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, aims to
strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below
2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Learn more about the United Nations Paris Agreement on Climate Action
at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change/
How might nuclear energy support the goals of the Paris Agreement? Explain.

3. Visit any of the sites below to learn more about Canada's SMR action plan and which provinces have signed on to be
part of the development of SMRs:
https://smractionplan.ca/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/small-modular-reactors-nuclear-smr-1.5187469
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/nuclear-reactors-clean-energy-option-1.5986796
Identify 2 facts that you learned and 1 question that you still have about SMRs in Canada.

4. Consult the Canadian Nuclear Fact Book to learn more about the history of nuclear energy in Canada:
https://cna.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2019-Factbook-EN-digital.pdf

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Putting It All Together

A. Write the letter that corresponds to the best answer on the line beside each question:
______ 1. In any power plant, what is needed to spin the turbine that drives a generator?
a) gas and heat b) heat and steam
c) uranium and fuel rods d) cooling water and fossil fuels
______ 2. The complex process of splitting uranium atoms to create a chain reaction is called:
a) fission b) radiation
c) nuclear power d) fuel rods
______ 3. In which country is the Chernobyl Power Complex located?
a) Belarus b) Russia
c) India d) Ukraine
B. Mark the statements T (True) or F (False). If a statement is True, write one important fact to support it on the line
below. If a statement is False, write the words that make it true on the line below.
______ 4. True or False? Canada has a long history of nuclear energy research and development.
______ 5. True or False? The Chernobyl Power Complex restarted five years after the accident.
______ 6. True or False? Emissions from solar and wind power plants are much lower than from nuclear power plants.
C. Fill in the blanks to complete each sentence.
7. _______________________ is energy that is transmitted in waves or streams of particles.
8. Interest in nuclear energy has increased due to _______________________ change.
9. In the late 1950s, Canada developed a nuclear reactor technology called _______________________ .
D. Respond to the following question in paragraph form. (Use a separate sheet of paper if necessary.)
10. As you see it, should Canada continue to develop nuclear energy technologies? Give reasons to support your response.

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