nuclear energy pros and cons

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. health impacts: linked with clusters of increased leukaemia in children rate of lung cancer in uranium miners was 6x that than general population

economic issues

- generally adopted by wealthier countries due to the high capital costs of installing the new technology and building the power stations - need to provide stable regulatory frameworks - long construction times 5-7 years gas fired plants: 2-3 years coal fired plants: ~5 years

economic benefits (ELA)

1. efficiency of extraction (LOW INPUT, HIGH OUTPUT) -> high energy density (1 uranium pellet = 1 ton of coal) 10,000 times greater energy per unit mass from uranium than other technologies 50 tonnes of uranium A YEAR, vs. 500 tons of coal PER HOUR. less waste produced due to less extraction 2. LOW AND STABLE PRODUCTION COSTS -> Bulk is sunk cost of nuclear power plant and machinery -> cost of uranium itself only constitutes ~2% of the total cost. 3. ABUNDANCE ~ enough uranium for 200 years

environmental issues

1. emissions of radioactivity: transportation of nuclear fuel poses a hazard 2. waste disposal: nuclear waste has to be stored safely, usually deep underground, radioactive wastes are extremely hazardous and take long periods of time to reach safe levels of radiation. 3. radioactive contamination accidents: THREE MILE ISLAND, CHERNOBYL.

environmental benefits

1. emits little to no greenhouse gases - the amount of energy produced by world's nuclear plants, if produced by fossil fuels, would generate 2 billion metric tons of CO2. 2. recyclability used fuel can be converted to fissile plutonium which produces 60x more energy -> hence, used fuel becomes a potential resource, resulting in a higher level of resource efficiency and productivity

SOCIAL BENEFITS

1. employment opportunities - nuclear: 530 jobs per nuclear plant. wind: 50 Coal: 190 Hydro: 100-450 2. safety: accidents are normally due to human error/extreme natural conditions. normal operational basis is safe, vs. coal which killed 13,000 yearly from pollution. -> regulations for packaging and transport, as well as design & operating procedures help to heighten safety standards

PROMISES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY

1. environmental benefits - low GHG emissions, recyclability 2. economic benefits Efficiency, Low cost, abundance 3. social benefits employment opportunities, safety

Nuclear energy disadvantages

1. environmental issues emissions of radioactivity, waste disposal, radioactive contamination accidents 2. social issues health impacts 3. economic issues high capital costs, long construction times