PRO/CON: Using nuclear power in the fight against global warming
PRO: Nuclear power does not emit greenhouse gases
Electricity is very important for modern life. We use it for countless things. We use it to light our homes and to power our computers.
Many kinds of power can be used to make electricity. The best is nuclear power.
Nuclear power comes from splitting the nucleus of an atom. Tiny atoms are the building blocks of all matter. The nucleus is the center part of an atom.
Heat is released when a nucleus is split. The heat can be turned into a kind of power. Nuclear power used for electricity is made in buildings called nuclear power plants.
Stopping The Greenhouse Effect
There is one simple reason why nuclear power is the best way to make electricity. It does not give off carbon.
Carbon is in carbon dioxide and other gases. It is given off or emitted when fuels like coal, gas or oil are burned. People burn these fuels to power cars and all sorts of machines.
Carbon gases are the main cause of the greenhouse effect. Once they are released, they remain in the air and trap heat. Over time, this has made the world hotter.
Scientists call this climate change or global warming.
Global warming is causing all kinds of serious problems. Polar ice caps are starting to melt. As a result, ocean levels are rising. Coastlines and small islands are being swallowed up by water. In other parts of the world, lakes and rivers are drying up. There is no longer enough water.
The world is starting to come together to try to fight climate change. Nuclear power can help. The more we use it, the less carbon will be released into the air.
Worries About Radiation
Wind power and solar power do not give off carbon either. However, they do not work all the time. The sun has to be out for solar power to work. The wind has to be blowing for wind power to work.
Nuclear power plants run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Many people think nuclear power is dangerous. They worry about radiation escaping from nuclear power plants. Radiation can be deadly. Even a small amount of it can kill.
Nuclear plants are built to keep radiation from leaking out. Still, many people worry something will happen anyway.
Actually, they have no reason to worry. Nuclear power plants are very safe.
The United States has had nuclear power plants for more than 50 years. In that time, not one person in the U.S. has been killed or hurt by a radiation leak.
The Only Answer
Last month, world leaders gathered in Paris, France, to talk about ways to stop global warming. They agreed that every country will have to cut back on the amount of greenhouse gases it emits each year. Some countries will have to cut back a great deal.
The goal is to have zero greenhouse gas emissions by around 2050.
Meeting that target will be very difficult. By 2040, there will be 9 billion people in the world, almost 2 billion more than there are now. There will be much more demand for electricity.
The only answer is to use nuclear power much more than we do now. Nuclear power is the only way to give people the electricity they need while stopping global warming. There is no other way to do both things at the same time.
CON: Solar and wind power a better way to go
The world needs to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions. There is no other way to stop global warming. Something must be done soon because we are all in danger.
Perhaps the best plan is to use both more nuclear power and more renewable energy. Solar power and wind power are two kinds of renewable energy.
There is definitely a place for nuclear power. However, renewable energy is a better way to go. It is both cheaper and safer. We should try to use more renewable energy. We should also try to be less wasteful in the way we use power.
Problems With Nuclear Power
Around the world, many countries are using less nuclear power. At the same time, they are using solar and wind power more. There are good reasons for this.
One is cost. Nuclear plants are very expensive. They can cost as much as $9 billion to build. It is also very expensive to shut them down safely, without any radiation leaking out. Sooner or later, all plants have to be shut down when they get too old.
There is also no good way to store radioactive waste once it is taken from a plant. You can bury it, but that will not stop the radiation from spreading. It can still slowly leak into the ground, water and air.
There is also always the chance that something will go wrong, no matter how safe a plant seems. In 2011, Fukushima, Japan, had a terrible earthquake. A nuclear plant was damaged and radioactive water leaked out. The surrounding area was poisoned and people were forced to leave. It is always possible that something like that could happen here.
Energy Efficiency
A better idea is for the United States to begin using more renewable energy. We should also try to be less wasteful with the power we use. Using power in a way that is not wasteful is known as energy efficiency.
There are many ways to be more energy efficient. For example, we can switch to new kinds of lights that use less electricity. We can change the way buildings are made, so that they lose less heat. We can all use trains and buses more, and cars less. If we did that, we would burn much less fuel.
For years, the U.S. government has favored nuclear power and fossil fuels. Now, finally, people are starting to pay more attention to renewable energy and energy efficiency. We should keep moving in that direction, and quickly.
Electricity is very important for modern life. We use it for countless things. We use it to light our homes and to power our computers.
Many kinds of power can be used to make electricity. The best is nuclear power.
Nuclear power comes from splitting the nucleus of an atom. Tiny atoms are the building blocks of all matter. The nucleus is the center part of an atom.
Heat is released when a nucleus is split. The heat can be turned into a kind of power. Nuclear power used for electricity is made in buildings called nuclear power plants.
Stopping The Greenhouse Effect
There is one simple reason why nuclear power is the best way to make electricity. It does not give off carbon.
Carbon is in carbon dioxide and other gases. It is given off or emitted when fuels like coal, gas or oil are burned. People burn these fuels to power cars and all sorts of machines.
Carbon gases are the main cause of the greenhouse effect. Once they are released, they remain in the air and trap heat. Over time, this has made the world hotter.
Scientists call this climate change or global warming.
Global warming is causing all kinds of serious problems. Polar ice caps are starting to melt. As a result, ocean levels are rising. Coastlines and small islands are being swallowed up by water. In other parts of the world, lakes and rivers are drying up. There is no longer enough water.
The world is starting to come together to try to fight climate change. Nuclear power can help. The more we use it, the less carbon will be released into the air.
Worries About Radiation
Wind power and solar power do not give off carbon either. However, they do not work all the time. The sun has to be out for solar power to work. The wind has to be blowing for wind power to work.
Nuclear power plants run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Many people think nuclear power is dangerous. They worry about radiation escaping from nuclear power plants. Radiation can be deadly. Even a small amount of it can kill.
Nuclear plants are built to keep radiation from leaking out. Still, many people worry something will happen anyway.
Actually, they have no reason to worry. Nuclear power plants are very safe.
The United States has had nuclear power plants for more than 50 years. In that time, not one person in the U.S. has been killed or hurt by a radiation leak.
The Only Answer
Last month, world leaders gathered in Paris, France, to talk about ways to stop global warming. They agreed that every country will have to cut back on the amount of greenhouse gases it emits each year. Some countries will have to cut back a great deal.
The goal is to have zero greenhouse gas emissions by around 2050.
Meeting that target will be very difficult. By 2040, there will be 9 billion people in the world, almost 2 billion more than there are now. There will be much more demand for electricity.
The only answer is to use nuclear power much more than we do now. Nuclear power is the only way to give people the electricity they need while stopping global warming. There is no other way to do both things at the same time.
CON: Solar and wind power a better way to go
The world needs to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions. There is no other way to stop global warming. Something must be done soon because we are all in danger.
Perhaps the best plan is to use both more nuclear power and more renewable energy. Solar power and wind power are two kinds of renewable energy.
There is definitely a place for nuclear power. However, renewable energy is a better way to go. It is both cheaper and safer. We should try to use more renewable energy. We should also try to be less wasteful in the way we use power.
Problems With Nuclear Power
Around the world, many countries are using less nuclear power. At the same time, they are using solar and wind power more. There are good reasons for this.
One is cost. Nuclear plants are very expensive. They can cost as much as $9 billion to build. It is also very expensive to shut them down safely, without any radiation leaking out. Sooner or later, all plants have to be shut down when they get too old.
There is also no good way to store radioactive waste once it is taken from a plant. You can bury it, but that will not stop the radiation from spreading. It can still slowly leak into the ground, water and air.
There is also always the chance that something will go wrong, no matter how safe a plant seems. In 2011, Fukushima, Japan, had a terrible earthquake. A nuclear plant was damaged and radioactive water leaked out. The surrounding area was poisoned and people were forced to leave. It is always possible that something like that could happen here.
Energy Efficiency
A better idea is for the United States to begin using more renewable energy. We should also try to be less wasteful with the power we use. Using power in a way that is not wasteful is known as energy efficiency.
There are many ways to be more energy efficient. For example, we can switch to new kinds of lights that use less electricity. We can change the way buildings are made, so that they lose less heat. We can all use trains and buses more, and cars less. If we did that, we would burn much less fuel.
For years, the U.S. government has favored nuclear power and fossil fuels. Now, finally, people are starting to pay more attention to renewable energy and energy efficiency. We should keep moving in that direction, and quickly.