Nuclear energy is a good tool for use in the fight against climate change but it may not be considered as the best tool as it also carries several adversities. By definition, nuclear energy is the energy created through the fusion, fission, or decay of nuclear material. Currently, the most common usage of nuclear energy is the fission of nuclear materials to create heat, with the heat being used to heat water to create steam. Steam is then used in the generation of electricity (Murray & Holbert, 2014). Nuclear reactors are also used to run complex machines such as submarines and ships. Primarily, the use of nuclear fission to produce electricity is considered a tool for the fight against climate change since most of the other available means of producing energy contribute to global warming (Covert, Greenstone & Knittel, 2016). Among the key contributors to climate change is the combustion of fossil fuels to produce energy. In modern times, a vast majority of energy, including electricity is produced through the combustion of mineral oil such as gasoline and diesel or other fossil fuels such as coal (Covert, Greenstone & Knittel, 2016). These fossil fuels when combusted produce a lot of greenhouse gases which are the leading cause of climate change. Among the primary advantages of the use of nuclear energy as a source of electricity is that it does not produce any greenhouse gas. The primary gaseous by-product of an electricity-producing nuclear factory is steam which contains no greenhouse gas thus, making no contribution to climate change (Murray & Holbert, 2014). Another advantage of nuclear reactors is that they produce a very high amount of energy for an elongated period lasting continually in the very least for decades. However, there are several disadvantages of nuclear energy that may not make it the best tool for fighting against climate change. Key among these disadvantages is the massive environmental degradation potential created by nuclear fission factories. A lot of water is used to keep nuclear reactors cool and this water is exposed to radioactive elements (Murray & Holbert, 2014). The water creates an active risk of pollution. Further, nuclear reactors that had erstwhile been adjudged as state of the art and safe have suddenly precipitated massive catastrophes leading to human deaths and environmental damage. After the Chernobyl disaster of 1986 and the Fukushima disaster, no one can tell for a fact if any nuclear reactor is absolutely safe (Steinhauser, Brandl, & Johnson, 2014). Nuclear energy is a good but not perfect or the best means of fighting climate change.
References
Covert, T., Greenstone, M., & Knittel, C. R. (2016). Will we ever stop using fossil fuels? Journal of Economic Perspectives , 30 (1), 117-38
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Murray, R., & Holbert, K. E. (2014). Nuclear energy: an introduction to the concepts, systems, and applications of nuclear processes . New York: Elsevier.
Steinhauser, G., Brandl, A., & Johnson, T. E. (2014). Comparison of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents: a review of the environmental impacts. Science of the Total Environment , 470 , 800-817
