Global Perspectives Checkpoint #1
Topic Sentence: There are multiple ways of generating electricity, and one of these ways is through nuclear reactors. Claim: Remains Neutral (Informative) Source (MLA Citation): "How Does a Nuclear Reactor Make Electricity?" World Nuclear Association, www.worldnuclear.org/nuclear-basis/how-does-a-nuclear-reactor-make-electricity.aspx.
Evidence: "A nuclear reactor produces and controls the release of energy from splitting the atoms of uranium." Explanation: When taking into consideration whether or not nuclear reactors should be allowed to be used to generate electricity, we must first learn how they work and what they are. Because of this, I thought this source would be good to improve my research.
Topic Sentence: Nuclear power should be used more as an energy source. Claim: Not only do nuclear reactors help the environment, they also help the economy because they are cheaper. (+) Source (MLA Citation): Bovee, Griffin. "Why We Should Use More Nuclear Power as an Energy Source." Elk Grove Citizen, 9 Apr. 2009, www.egcitizen.com/news/why-we-should-use-more-nuclear-power-as-an-energy/article_3e1cd6c5-c1c6-5200-8818-f94260bac842.html.
Evidence: "It is a cheaper source of energy than gasoline, a fuel source that has been troubling our economy for many years." Explanation: Gasoline is a fossil fuel that emits carbon dioxide when burned, and replacing gasoline with nuclear energy would not only prevent this pollution, but it would also help the economy because it is cheaper. This shows the benefits of nuclear power and why we should use it more.
Topic Sentence: Nuclear reactors are expensive. Claim: Nuclear reactors are not good for the economy and are slow. Source (MLA Citation): Johnson, Toni. "Nuclear Power Safety Concerns." Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, 23 Sept. 2011, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/nuclear-power-safety-concerns.
Evidence: "Many supporters and critics say nuclear power's biggest impediment is economic. Projects are expensive and slow-developing, with a number of basic logistical hurdles that make them less competitive than other types of energy, even with the inclusion of a carbon price." Explanation: When countries are considering whether or not to establish nuclear reactors, they claim that not only will they be good for the environment, but they will also help them economically. In reality however, the costs to build reactors are typically always costly and take plenty of time.
Topic Sentence: There are multiple ways to produce energy. Claim: Nuclear reactors are not the most efficient energy source. (-) Source (MLA Citation): Gardner, Chris. "10 Reasons Not to Invest in Nuclear Energy." Center for American Progress, 22 July 2008, www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2008/07/08/4735/10-reasons-not-to-invest-in-nuclear-energy/.
Evidence: "Solar power, photovoltaics, advanced biofuels, wind power, and other energy technologies promise to revolutionize how electricity is generated in the 21st century." Explanation: When looking at whether or not we should use nuclear reactors, we see that other methods can be used to generate electricity. Other methods include solar power, which doesn't have risks like nuclear reactors do. Therefore, nuclear reactors should not be used.
Topic Sentence: Nuclear reactors produce harmful waste. Claim: There is no doubt that the potential of nuclear energy is huge, but there are also downsides. (-) Source (MLA Citation): Mathias. "Nuclear Energy Pros and Cons." Energy Informative, 2012, energyinformative.org/nuclear-energy-pros-and-cons/.
Evidence: "The nuclear power plants emit negligible amounts, if any, carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, the processes in the nuclear fuel chain such as mining, enrichment and waste management does." Explanation: When looking at whether or not we should use nuclear reactors, we must take into account how it will affect our environment. The nuclear waste produced has no long term solution for storage and it harms our planet. This gives us a reason on why we should NOT use nuclear reactors.
Topic Sentence: Nuclear reactors can be beneficial in multiple ways. Claim: Nuclear power has always provided huge benefits, and the more technology advances, the safer it becomes. (+) Source (MLA Citation): Co, About Renewable Resources. "Nuclear Energy: Top 5 Advantages." Renewable Resources Coalition, 15 July 2019, www.renewableresourcescoalition.org/nuclear-energy-advantages/.
Evidence: "The supply of nuclear fuel is a moving target. The readily available fuel would last about 230 years at current consumption rates according to the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)." Explanation: When looking at nuclear reactors, many tend to overlook how much supply we have in order to power them. One benefit of nuclear reactors is that unlike fossil fuels, which are currently being burned at a stunningly high rate, the supply of nuclear fuel will last for hundreds of years.
Topic Sentence: Nuclear reactors pose many threats to the environment and have negative effects. Claim: Although nuclear power may produce lower carbon energy, it comes with a great deal of risk and is not a climate solution. (-) Source (MLA Citation): Gravitz, Alisa. "10 Reasons to Oppose Nuclear Energy." Green America, 2006, www.greenamerica.org/fight-dirty-energy/amazon-build-cleaner-cloud/10-reasons-oppose-nuclear-energy.
Evidence: - "Going down the nuclear route would mean that poor countries, that don't have the financial resources to invest in and develop nuclear power, would become reliant on rich, technologically advanced nations." - "Currently, there are no long-term storage solutions for radioactive waste, and most is stored in temporary, above-ground facilities." Explanation: 'The use of these reactors would negatively affect poor countries and our environment, for the nuclear waste produced has no place to be stored long-term.
Topic Sentence: There have been multiple nuclear reactor-related accidents. Claim: Nuclear reactors pose great safety concerns. (-) Source (MLA Citation): Johnson, Toni. "Nuclear Power Safety Concerns." Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, 23 Sept. 2011, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/nuclear-power-safety-concerns.
Evidence: - "In 1986, an explosion at a reactor (Guardian) at Chernobyl in Ukraine spewed radiation enough for four hundred Hiroshima-sized bombs." Explanation: Establishing nuclear reactors can be very risky, not only for the environment, but also for civilians. With accidents happening at nuclear reactors, many innocent lives are put at risk because of the great amounts of radioactivity that they are exposed to.
Topic Sentence: Although there are many ways to generate electricity, nuclear reactors would be best for developing countries. Claim: The only sensible justification for developing countries to go nuclear is to enhance security of supply. (+) Source (MLA Citation): Goldemberg, Jose. "Nuclear Energy in Developing Countries." American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 2009, www.amacad.org/publication/nuclear-energy-developing-countries.
Evidence: - "Nuclear-generated electricity contributes little, on a life-cycle basis, to greenhouse gas emissions and could therefore help in solving global warming problems." - "Nuclear energy can contribute to energy can contribute to energy security, reducing or eliminating the need for natural gas or other fossil fuels now used frequently for electricity generation." **********Explanation (EDIT) : Global warming is a big problem in our world today and one that needs a solution. Using nuclear reactors and converting to nuclear energy would allow for the world to decrease the amounts of greenhouse gases that are produced.*************
Topic Sentence: Nuclear power is very efficient. Claim: Nuclear power can be, and should be, one major component of our rescue from a hotter, more meteorologically destructive world. (+) Source (MLA Citation): Rhodes, Richard, et al. "Why Nuclear Power Must Be Part of the Energy Solution." Yale E360, 19 July 2018, e360.yale.edu/features/why-nuclear-power-must-be-part-of-the-energy-solution-environmentalists-climate.
Evidence: - "Since it produces energy via nuclear fission rather than chemical burning, it generates baseload electricity with no output of carbon, the villainous element of global warming." - "Nuclear power plants operate at much higher capacity factors than renewable energy sources or fossil fuels." Explanation: Factors to look at when deciding whether or not we should implement the use of nuclear reactors include the effects that these reactors will have on our planet. While many environmentalists may believe that these reactors are not good, they should actually be used more often, as they don't produce any output of carbon.
