This can merely be helpful on local level but not at all on the global level.
Radioactive materials in low quantities are present in fossil fuels, chiefly in coal and using them in heavy amounts can have more hazardous effects on the environment causing radioactive contamination globally. This is a much more pressing concern when compared to the radioactive contamination within a nuclear power station as the noxious waste in them is properly managed and piled up.
Mercury, toxic heavy elements, arsenic and some other traces of hazardous elements are found in coal. Some elements like mercury which is released in the boiler of power plants can stay floating in the air and move around the globe's atmosphere. While the release of mercury because of various other man-made causes is well controlled in the environment, the significant stock of remaining mercury pollution is caused by the waste releases of power plants. In 2003, the release of mercury from power stations in United States was approximately 50 tons yearly and hundreds of tons yearly in China. Engineers who design these power plants can install different apparatuses to lessen these emissions.
As nuclear plants do not use fossil fuel as a regular energy source, they do not actually release CO2. Furthermore during the digging, mining, production improvement and supply of the nuclear fuels, the carbon dioxide released is less in comparison with Carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels producing the same energy. However, this does not mean that the Co2 released can be ignored as it can still cause environmental deterioration in the long run.
Also, heat produced by a huge power plant using nuclear energy can be dissipated in natural water which can have disastrous effects on the life in water because of immensely raised temperatures.
Discharged particles of radioactivity from within a nuclear plant are managed by a proper system. Even though these instances are rare, an atypical maneuver may end up discharging radioactive waste which could vary between being negligible to critical.
Excavating uranium ore can damage the atmosphere around the mine. Discarding used up fuel is very much debatable with various continuing storage methods being under evaluation and condemnation. Passing out fresh or used up fuel to arms manufacturers, risks nuclear proliferation. And finally, the nuclear facility itself becomes radioactive which takes many years of capital before it can be cost-effectively taken apart and put down as waste
Wind Power extracts mechanical energy from the steady course of air over the exterior of the Earth. Usually, wind power stations are placed in areas of high wind speeds, having wind farms and a large number of wind turbines. The main advertising concern for wind turbines is their older version like the Altamont Pass Wind Farm. Wind farms, such as this one, are old, small and are generally loud and compactly placed, making it a not-so attractive area to the common people. One disadvantage of these turbines is that it disturbs surrounding low-level winds. Alternatively, large turbines have diminished these issues and are now a profit earning source of energy. A large number of local people have setup such wind turbines in order to cut down on their power bills.
If established on an agricultural land, the latest kind of wind farms cause the least possible damage to the environment compared to other sources of energy. These wind farms need less space per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity when compared to every other renewable source of energy, except rooftop solar power, and can be used for grazing and harvesting.
The energy used on its manufacturing can be produced within months from its operation date. During the construction, air pollution and green house gas is been discharged that is low in quantity and is diminishing. This means that its operation do not generate...
Nuclear Power Disadvantages of nuclear energy and its comparison with other sources of energy Comparison of nuclear energy with other sources of energy Nuclear energy does have advantages over other sources of energy like fossil fuels (coal, gas etc.) because nuclear energy makes less pollution and nuclear energy supplies more power than any other source of energy. All sources of energy do have some disadvantages. Some of them are discussed here; Fossil fuel It makes
This is a significant advantage because wind and solar can only be considered intermittent sources that produce power on a variable schedule. Yet geothermal sources produce can be used to produce power constantly and inexpensively. Because of these advantages, nearly every prime geothermal location on the planet have already been developed or are in the process of being developed and this power source in insufficient to meet the growing
Another important argument against nuclear energy is that it leaves behind radioactive waste, as evidenced above as well. Furthermore, if this waste is not properly disposed of, it can cause irrevocable damage. According to the Discovery Curiosity project, "Nuclear waste must be sealed underground in protected chambers. [A] former salt mine in Remlingen, Germany, held nuclear waste for decades before structural concerns forced the government to relocate the deadly substances."
Black (2005) notes that within the next decade Great Britain will be unable to meet the energy needs of its population unless nuclear power becomes part of the equation. A dependence on fossil fuel sources for electricity is no longer viable, given the limited supply of fossil fuel, the volatile market for it, and the environmental concerns associated with creating and burning fossil fuels. Nuclear power is touted as
Nuclear Power as a Promising Alternative Fuel for the Future The Nuclear Dilemma (World Nuclear Association) There are a plethora of reasons in which alternative fuels are becoming increasingly desirable as potential power source for everyday consumption in the future. One such reason is that fossil fuels are non-renewable resources that will eventually be exhausted in regards to the feasibility of extracting these resources. It is not necessarily that non-renewable resources will
Nuclear Power Plant Safety Engineering countermeasures for radioactive material release In order to prevent the release of radioactive material into the environment, nuclear power plants are designed to be resistant to a number of natural destructive forces, such as hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes (U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission [U.S. NRC], 2011a). Within the plant, critical systems are designed to limit and control radioactive material release should they fail. These design considerations include the
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