What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy?

A_quick_answer:">A quick answer:

The major advantage is economic: much more energy results from a small piece of fuel. Also there is less damage to the environment than with fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal).

The disadvantages are:

• the problem of how to store the dangerous radioactive waste safely
• the risks of a dangerous accident or terrorist attack at the nuclear power plant
• the safety risks in mining and transporting the radioactive fuel
• the safety risks in transporting the radioactive waste
• the risks of theft of material, possibly for a nuclear bomb

 

A_longer_answer:">A longer answer:

This is a broad question, and an attempt is made to touch on the principle issues and ideas that were asked after. In that light, the answer may look a little "overwritten" as it stands. However, there is the proposition that a more abbreviated answer may not cover the subject to make it acceptable. An investigator is advised to roll up his or her sleeves and put on a thinking cap as we plunge in. Ready? Let's go.

Advantages

Nuclear energy is derived from the fission or fusion of nuclear material. We cannot effectively use fusion, which is the "combing" or fusing of atomic nuclei, except to make a nuclear weapon. (Research continues in an attempt to create a nuclear fusion reactor to generate useful power.) Fission involves the "splitting" of atomic nuclei, and this process taps into the nuclear binding energy that holds these nuclei together. Nuclear energy is used in weapons, which have obvious risks and some benefits, but we'll skip this issue and deal with "reactors" instead of weapons. That said, we know that we rely on fission produced in nuclear reactors to do a number of things for us. Let's look at those things.

Most nuclear reactors, which are the "machines" that we use to set up nuclear chain reactions, are pretty good sized. They have a lot of associated containment and secondary equipment with them. The majority of the energy produced in nuclear reactors we use is thermal energy (heat). We capture this heat energy and use it to heat water to create steam, and the steam is used to spin turbines to generate electricity. Almost all nuclear reactors are used to this purpose, and you probably figured out that we need lots of electric power. (You wouldn't be reading this if not for electric power). Something on the order of 1/8th of the world's electric power is nuclear generated. The generation of electric power is the primary advantage of the application of nuclear energy.

If an investigator gives it a bit of thought, it will become obvious that nuclear reactors (and also the cyclotron, which is also a "nuclear" machine), can be used to create a number of useful products. These products are radioactive materials, and they have a wide application in medicine. In that area, they can be used as radiation sources to treat cancer. Radioactive tracers can also be made, and they have applications in medical imaging. Medical imaging and radiopharmaceuticals are available because of nuclear energy, and they provide extremely helpful diagnostic and treatment options to medical professionals. We might also note the use of radioactive tracers in a wide variety of biological investigation outside the use of these materials on humans.

We also find that reactors can be used to make radioactive sources. A radioactive source is a "chunk" of material that was made radioactive by being lowered into a working nuclear reactor. The neutron flux in the reactor activates the nuclei in the material, and this makes it radioactive. The activation of cobalt-59 to create cobalt-60 is a fine example of this. The cobalt-60 is a strong gamma ray source, and it can be used to, say, X-ray welds on piping in remote locations, or to sterilize something like medical products that cannot withstand the heat of thermal sterilization.

There are applications of nuclear energy in "transportation" as it is applied to things like nuclear submarines and other ships. The nuclear reactor taps nuclear energy, thus avoiding the necessity of burning fuel oil to move a vessel. Certainly the submarine is an extraordinarily lethal naval asset because nuclear energy allows for extended periods submerged and great range in deployment. There are some applications of nuclear energy to power space craft, but development is slow. Nuclear energy is used to power deep space probes. These probes have missions that take them well outside the "effective range" of solar energy as it can be collected from the sun.

Nuclear energy is also a tool of investigation. The nuclear physics laboratory has delivered and continues to deliver answers to a number of questions about the nature of atomic nuclei. The forces that keep an atomic nucleus together and the factors that affect the stability and behavior of atomic nuclei still ask us to fully and accurately describe them. The questions are still there, and as we answer one, we are asked one or even two more.

Disadvantages

While nuclear power has advantages, there are some drawbacks that demand consideration. They're serious beyond imagining, and careful attention must be paid to risks associated with nuclear energy. We are aware of the risks associated with nuclear weapons, and also the threats posed by nuclear terrorism. Those issues aside, there are other concerns that are part and parcel of nuclear energy. One of the primary ones has to do with nuclear accidents involving reactors.

Nuclear power plants are horrendously expensive. In addition, the world has seen a number of failures regarding the safe operation of nuclear plants, and we know that Chernobyl is the quintessential example of a nuclear accident. This level 7 disaster demonstrated with crystal clarity that there are real risks with the "break down" of a nuclear reactor. Huge quantities of radioactive material were released into the atmosphere, and this "stuff" could be detected in wide areas across northwestern Europe. As radioactive debris was carried aloft and transported by prevailing winds, it crossed international borders and spread out in a manner that made it impossible to contain. Several thousand cancer cases were attributed to exposure to Chernobyl radiation. Longer term effects are still being evaluated and debated. And note that over a third of a million people had to be relocated. Whole towns and villages were completely abandoned. This translates into billions of dollars of property loss.

Smaller nuclear accidents expose individuals, both those in the know and those unsuspecting people, to radiation. Nuclear workers have been irradiated on occations, and fatally so. Others nearby have been incidentally exposed to radiation, and they live with the after effects. It should be noted that exposure to radiation, particularly low level radiation, leaves the exposed individual at risk for some effects. Medical issues may (or may not) arise that are due to the radiation. The problem is that radiation is "sneaky" as regards how it harms people. Sure, a radiation worker can accidently initiate a critical incident and get a fatal dose in a split second. He can also expose associates. But nuclear materials can be "orphaned" or "let loose" because of other accidents.

We have to transport and provide for the long-long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel. It's highly radioactive, and remains so for centuries. The cost and the political and social impact are extraordinary. We also see that radioactive materials can become "lost" and escape the normal controls placed on them. These sources can end up killing or severly injuring unsuspecting individuals who come in contact with them. (It has happened already.) Certainly there are a number of documented incidents/accidents in the medical field where patients suffer. Patients have been overexposed and have developed advanced cases of radiation poisoning or have died. We're supposed to be "protected" from these things, but protection webs can break down for a number of reasons.

Nuclear energy is a wonderous gift. It is derived from the heart of atoms, and the "combination" to access these nuclear "valuts" to extract energy has taken a truck load of scientific effort that has been applied over decades. What a fabulous doorway to open, both for scientific knowledge and for an array of practical applications that a growing world population needs. But nuclear energy is a double-edged sword with both sides being razor sharp. It is easy to solve problems by applying nuclear energy, and it is simple to get in a jam when that nuclear application goes wrong. When the scientific knowledge was given us, it did not come with any morality or wisdom. We have to supply that when we choose to use nuclear energy. How will we sort this one out?
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