Nuclear Power | In nuclear fission, atoms are split to release the energy. A nuclear reactor, or power plant, is a series of machines that can control nuclear fission to produce electricity. The fuel that nuclear reactors use to produce nuclear fission is pellets of the element uranium.
aaa

To Use or Not to Use Nuclear Power?

Science Section Staff
06 May, 2017

AboutIslam.net’s official Facebook page highlighted a post that tackles one of the most notorious controversies in energy and power fields that is related to politics, economics, and more importantly the daily life of human population.

To Use or Not to Use Nuclear Power? That’s the tough question.

Humankind has been living since the 1950s with nuclear powered electricity generation.

Proponents argue that nuclear power is a sustainable energy source which reduces carbon emissions and can increase energy security if its use supplants a dependence on imported fuels.

They emphasize that the risks of storing waste are small and can be further reduced by using the latest technology in newer reactors, and the operational safety record in the Western world is excellent when compared to the other major kinds of power plants.

On the other hand, opponents say that nuclear power poses numerous threats to people and the environment and point to studies in the literature that question if it will ever be a sustainable energy source.

These threats include health risks and environmental damage from uranium mining, processing and transport, the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation or sabotage, and the unsolved problem of radioactive nuclear waste.

Furthermore, using nuclear energy automatically increases the risk of erupting nuclear wars, that’s while humanity has already developed better alternatives for energy production through green and environment-friendly sustainable and renewable energy resources.

Many studies have documented how nuclear power plants generate 16% of global electricity, but provide only 6.3% of energy production and 2.6% of final energy consumption.

This mismatch stems mainly from the poor consumption efficiency of electricity compared to other energy carriers, and the transmission losses associated with nuclear plants which are usually situated far away from sources of demand.

However, the transmission losses associated with nuclear plants, or indeed wind and Hydroelectric plants, which are also usually situated far away from the sources of demand, are not high, as they use HVDC cables which have losses of just 3% over 1000 km.

Similarly, it appears that nuclear power is not alone in appearing small when representing world energy consumption which includes non-electric fossil fuel heating and transport fuel, which coal and oil dominate.

Although, a Stanford study found that Fast Breeder Reactors have the potential to provide power for humans on Earth for billions of years, making this source sustainable.

Yet, reserves from existing uranium mines are being rapidly depleted, and one assessment from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) showed that enough high-grade ore exists to supply the needs of the current reactor fleet for only 40–50 years.

Now, we would like to share discussing this topic with all of you along with some comments and views of the audience, and you are kindly invited to share your thoughts and opinions through the comment box below.

Talha Jamal: I will support my country Pakistan to continue operating its nuclear plants.

Tanveer Ahmed: Nuclear Power fulfills our need of electricity but in long term it is hazardous in terms of pollution, contamination, health, disasters and much more. But the very thoughtful thing is that nuclear power is very unsafe to the whole human civilization as the consequences of nuclear disasters are unrecoverable. We have examples as Chernobyl and Fukushima…etc.

Shiva Prasad Tumuluri: Einstein invented the formula E= MC2. But, based on that formula Germany succeeded and invented first atomic bomb, yet never used it because of its deadly destruction. Einstein’s friend forced him to write a letter to the American president who nuked Japan. I support stopping using all nuclear weapons and prefer to implement solar power & wind power, Hydro power, and go for plants which are green and friendly. Thank you.

Md Junaid: Let’s be free from nuclear power. Use solar energy, nuclear power is misuse of Einstein’s mind.

Sri Mulyati: There’s no single nuclear power station in my country.

Mashqoor Iqbal Zargar: I don’t like war and things related to it like nuclear energy.

Debra Kay: Close those plants.

Carly Hassan Ali Madden: I think we need to investigate and implement better power sources than nuclear and use of fossil fuels. Solar, wind, all these are worth looking into.

Bilal Niazi: We want those plants closed.