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Salem Ali
Ms. Gardner
English 10 Honors
11 May 2015
Nuclear Opportunities
Billions of human beings that take residence on Earth toil throughout their lives in order
to create a better life for the residents that will follow, yet these global citizens have largely and
unknowingly placed the future residents at a severe disadvantage. According to the Energy
Information Administration, energy consumption has been exponentially rising throughout the
past two centuries, and almost tripling within the past 35 years alone (International Energy
Statistics - EIA). The burden of creating energy cannot be ignored nor can it be fulfilled by the
most widely used current methods. Fossil fuels, some of the largest contributors to energy
production, are not infinite; the end of fossil fuels is nearer in time than our world has prepared
for, as fossil fuels are projected to be nearly expended by the year 2100 (The End of Fossil
Fuels). New technologies, such as nuclear and renewable energy, have already assisted in
making the world less reliant on fossil fuels. However it is time to plan for the future and begin
to make a major shift onto more reliable means of energy production. In 1976, a law was passed
in California that prohibited the construction of a nuclear power plant until a means of disposal
of high-level nuclear waste is approved. A bill to repeal this law was proposed in April of 2007,
however this repeal may be reintroduced in the state (World Nuclear Association). It is
absolutely necessary that nuclear energy becomes accepted as a source of energy around the
world. Of the many means of producing energy, nuclear energy has shown to be an

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environmentally clean substitute, creator of an energy field capable of many advancements, and
one of the most realistic substitutes to fossil fuel energy.
Many of those who stand against nuclear energy argue mainly that the risks and
inefficiencies created by nuclear power plants and their side effects far outweigh any positive
outcomes from nuclear energy. One argument is based around the fact that the construction of a
power plant is not only one that takes many years, but also has an expensive construction cost.
The last nuclear power plant to be built and completed in the United States took approximately
$8 billion and took 23 years to complete (Riccio). Another troubling concern for many is the
storing of nuclear waste in permanent facilities, as currently there are no permanent repositories
for nuclear waste, and therefore waste is being held in temporary areas such as on the site of the
nuclear reactor or in areas such as Yucca Mountain. Edwin Lymin, a nuclear physicist with the
Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, questions the efficiency as well as the safety of
programs in effect that transport and store nuclear waste (cited in Clayton). To summarize, the
safety hazards as well as the cost efficiency of nuclear power plants is challenged by many.
Indeed, many may believe that nuclear power is the wrong choice to commit too as a global
community. However, nuclear power should be embraced as innovative ways of disposing of
waste are being discovered, and the energy produced through nuclear power plants create a
realistic alternative for fossil fuels.
Certainly nuclear energy is still in its relative infancy compared to other energy sources
such as fossil fuels. However, as a result of this infancy stage, one can understand that as nuclear
energy is a very relatively recent method of energy production, there are many innovations to be
made in order to develop the field of nuclear energy, making nuclear energy more efficient, safer,
and less expensive. Four very prominent scientists including James Hansen, the former NASA

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scientist who has written multiple works on climate change, state that compared to initial
reactors, current reactors are much safer, and new incineration methods partially solve the
waste disposal problem (Biron). In the relatively short period of time that nuclear reactors have
been in existence, safer methods have already been developed as well as methods that create a
more manageable way of solving the waste disposal problems. These developments in the field
of nuclear energy show that as time continues, nuclear energy will only improve. In summation,
nuclear energy has only recently been seen as a field of interest and already has there been
innovations improving and developing the field; with greater investment and research into the
field, nuclear energy will come to see innovations that make the production of energy more
reliable and make nuclear energy as a whole a much more realistic alternative to current
methods.
Additionally, nuclear energy proves to be one of the least damaging sources for the
environment. Top conservationist biologists state in a letter to world leaders, prominent
environmentalists, and green organizations that the creation of nuclear power does not result in
the creation of a carbon footprint. These biologists affirm that rising demand for energy will
place ever greater burdens on the natural world, threatening its rich biodiversity, unless societies
accept nuclear power as a key part of the energy mix (Connor). In addition, recent analysis
shows that "Greenhouse gas emissions would be vastly higher if nuclear energy facilities did not
provide 40 percent of the electricity globally that is produced by carbon-free sources of power
(Biron). The letter written by the top scientists goes to show the practicality of nuclear energy, as
well as emphasizing the environmental-friendliness of nuclear energy. Alluding to nuclear waste
and its effect on the environment, projects have begun in order to reduce the amount of nuclear
waste being stored away; the most innovative project being that of Terrapower, a start up lead by

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Bill Gates and Nathan Myhrvold. The goal of Terrapower is to create a nuclear reactor that takes
nuclear waste and converts it into glass, a usable substance in todays society. Although not
completely using all waste, the creation of such a reactor would drastically cut down the amount
of waste needing to be stored. In terms of achievability, the prototype has already been somewhat
developed, however a tangible prototype is yet to be built (Wald). As a whole, and in terms of
preserving the global environment, nuclear energy continues to be one of the most reasonable
options that would immensely reduce the damage being done to the global environment.
Nuclear energy is one of the largest carbon-free producers of energy that currently exists,
and thus is a prominent replacement for fossil fuels. Nuclear energy already stands as a
contributor for energy production in most major countries around the world. Worldwide, there
are more than 400 power plants operating in 31 different countries. Even though serving for only
20% of the power in the US, nuclear energy plays a much larger role in many of the other thirty
countries that utilize nuclear energy (ProQuest Staff). However, even with the relatively small
number of nuclear facilities compared to that of fossil fuels, nuclear power is responsible for
about 11% of the total energy produced in 2012 (Statham). In terms of ranking for amount of
power produced, nuclear power stands at being the fourth largest contributor of energy according
to the World Nuclear Association. These statistics rank nuclear only behind coal, natural gas, and
hydroelectric power (Nuclear Power in the World Today). Considering two of those, coal and
natural gas, cant be continuously depended on to provide energy, nuclear has to be utilized to
replace energy production void being created by depleting coal and natural gas reservoirs. As can
be seen, nuclear energy has already begun to play a role in the world production of energy. Even
with only 400 plants across the globe, a impact has been made by nuclear energy thus far.

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Therefore, nuclear energy is a sensible replacement for a sizable amount of the energy currently
being produced by fossil fuels.
In conclusion, nuclear energy has proven to be a great foundation for further innovation,
to be an environmentally clean producer of energy, and a promising replacement of fossil fuels to
uptake the task of producing energy for the global community. Even though nuclear energy
cannot realistically and exclusively supply the world with power, the widespread and expansive
utilization of nuclear energy remains as a step that must be taken in order to reduce the global
carbon footprint and allow future generations to prosper in the world that has become polluted.
In order to steer off the path of fossil fuel usage, in order to reduce the carbon footprint engraved
on the planet, in order to safeguard the future for coming generations, citizens across the globe
must understand the possible sources of energy available, and commit themselves voicing their
interest in deciding the future of energy production.

Works Cited
Biron, Carey L. "Nuclear Called a Lesser Evil Than Fossil Fuels." Global Information Network.
04 Nov. 2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

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Clayton, Mark. "How to Store Nuclear Waste? Panel Slams US and Urges New Approach."
Christian Science Monitor. 29 Jul. 2011: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
Connor, Steve. "Nuclear Power Is Greenest, Say Top Scientists." The Independent on Sunday. 04
Jan. 2015: 10. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
"International Energy Statistics - EIA." International Energy Statistics - EIA. N.p., n.d. Web. 28
Apr. 2015.
"Nuclear Power in the World Today." Nuclear Power Today. World Nuclear Association, Feb.
2015. Web. 05 May 2015.
ProQuest Staff. "At Issue: Nuclear Energy." ProQuest LLC. 2015: n.pag. SIRS Issues
Researcher. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.
Riccio, Jim. "Phase Out the Reactors." USA TODAY. 13 Dec. 2011: A.10. SIRS Issues
Researcher. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
Statham, Brian A. Deciding the Future: Energy Policy Scenarios to 2050. London: World
Energy Council, 2007. 2007. Web. 29 Apr. 2015
"The End Of Fossil Fuels." - Our Green Energy. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
Wald, Matthew L. "Nuclear Waste as a Fix for Many Problems." International Herald Tribune.
26 Sep. 2013: p. 18. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 05 May 2015.
"World Nuclear Association." California's Electricity. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.