Nuclear Power

Using nuclear energy to power things is increasingly becoming a more popular choice. With global warming awareness on the rise, politicians have never spoken more about it. But what really is nuclear power?  It is generated using Uranium, a metal mined in different parts of the world. Although nuclear power plants run generally in the same way that fossil-fuel burning power plants do, the difference between the two is that heat is generated by nuclear fission instead.

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Nuclear power has its advantages and disadvantages. Some people support the use of nuclear power because of how efficient it is in terms of energy production, cost, and reliability. Nuclear power also does not produce smoke or carbon dioxide; therefore, it does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. On the other side, although it does not produce much waste, it is very dangerous due to the radioactivity involved in production and possibility for accidents. For the radioactivity to die away, it must be stored and buried for thousands of years. It also is not considered renewable. There is a general concern for the possibility of nuclear accidents to occur, because nuclear disasters are exactly that: detrimental when they happen.

Animals are susceptible to radiation exposure, making the effects dangerous to animals in the same way humans are affected by radiation. The Chernobyl nuclear explosion disaster, which occurred on April 26, 1986, affected species of animals in the surrounding area of Pripyat, Ukraine. Studies have found a decreased amount of species in the area and a direct impact on their genetics due to the explosion. For example, more than 1 in3 boars in Saxony, which is 700 miles from Chernobyl, are too radioactive to consume for food.

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Plants have also been affected by nuclear power. Waste from nuclear factories harms the surrounding environment, including plants, soil and water. Soil contamination due to the Chernobyl accident has been discovered in France.

Sources: http://energy.gov/science-innovation/energy-sources/nuclear

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/TP.asp?id=440&tid=77

                http://world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx

http://www.livescience.com/39961-chernobyl.html

http://www.beyondnuclear.org/animals-and-radiation/

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/305042