The EU, Nuclear,

and Green Goals

{Your Name Here}

Renewable: HYDRO,
wind

Non Renewable: Coal, GAS,

nuclear, oil
Describe the use of renewable energies
compared to non-renewable energies.

Renewable energy can be re-used whilst

non-renewable energy cannot be used again.

Looking at the graphic, write 2-3

sentences that describe how Europe
generates electricity. Be sure to think
geographically: look for patterns.

The countries in Europe manage thjjeir

energy sources according to their location. For
example, the countries that are close to oceans
and have many rivers and water supply use
lots of hydroelectric power.
Nuclear
Nuclear energy uses the heat
produced from a reaction between
atomic particles. While it has very
few emissions, it does produce
dangerous radioactive waste that
must be disposed of following very
specific methods. These methods
include burying the waste in
concrete-lined vaults to keep the
Looking at the map, identify the three
radiation contained. However, European countries that use the most
when nuclear energy has had nuclear energy.
accidents, it has led to immense
France, Spain and germany use the
environmental and human
most amount of nuclear energy.
damage.
 Chernobyl
The Chernobyl disaster was caused by a reactor exploding and sending radioactive
material into the air. Review the map below illustrating the radioactive fallout.

Based on the map, make an

inference about why many
people have concerns about
nuclear energy.

The nuclear accident which

happened in 1986 killed many
people and made Chernobyl
radioactive since then and for
another 20,000 years. This is
the reason to why people
have concerns about the place.
 Green Energy Goals
The European Union has set a goal of
being carbon neutral by 2050. This
means all member states must make
plans to reduce carbon emissions and
address how they produce energy and
ensure their emissions are balanced
with carbon absorption.

Looking at the map, identify at

least three countries that are on
track to accomplish this?
Poland, Italy and Greece are the
last ones to accomplish this goal
because they have the lowest
amount of no-carbon emissions.
EU classifies Nuclear as Green
Review the article linked above to answer the questions below.

Why do you think the EU is classifying nuclear as a green energy option?

Nuclear energy because it emits virtually no carbon, and gas which emits less carbon than
coal.

Which countries are major opponents to this decision?

Poland is the opponent to this.

How have officials justified this decision?

They firmly believe that it will be a race with Germany to develop.
 War in Ukraine

Looking at the maps, how has the war

in Ukraine impacted energy prices in
Europe?

The prices have increased because

most European countries because
they are highly dependent on
Russian Gas.
In addition, the EU's apparent acceptance that nuclear power is a key source of low-carbon energy will likely further
shore up support for nuclear power.

The sector has lost share to renewables and natural gas across Europe in recent decades, but has seen a resurgence
in public and industry backing over the past year or so as Europe's power costs surged in the wake of Russia's invasion
of Ukraine.

Beyond France, several European countries rely on nuclear power to generate a substantial share of electricity,
including Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Finland, Belgium and Bulgaria.

Non-nuclear nations are also exploring the feasibility of developing nuclear capacity, including Italy which this year
passed a parliamentary motion to encourage the government to consider adding nuclear to the country's energy
generation mix.

Even in Germany, which shut its last remaining nuclear reactors in early 2023, members of the coalition government
recently called for the dismantling of plants to stop, in case they are needed in future energy crises.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/nuclear-gets-boost-europes-new-green-energy-targets-2023-09-13/

Why might the war in Ukraine change some countries’ minds about nuclear?

Germany might change its mind because it already shut down it’s last remaining nuclear
reactor.