Nuclear warfare is not only inhumane but inefficient against carbon emissions. The catastrophic events experienced in Japan are prime examples of the profound dangers as a result of nuclear warfare. Those who did survive had an 46% risk of leukemia. Nuclear energy is not only dangerous but incapable of fixing our climate issues. Despite the pros of it being cheaper and more effective than fossil fuels, the cons exceed. Nuclear energy accidents are more risky and there’s a limited fuel supply. The impact it has on the environment and the amount of radioactive waste produced is another problem.Lastly, the material used for these nuclear power plants is not renewable making the harvest of nuclear energy difficult. Overall, nuclear energy hasn’t proven to be a reliable solution to climate change and energy source issues. Nuclear energy is far too risky to provide accurate experimentation on to prove the effectiveness of it as energy, power, and weaponry.
Hey Maya,
I used to be doubtful of nuclear energy too, but watching this video helped change my perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3znG6_vla0&t=2s
Though nuclear energy can be deadly to humans and the environment through an accident or when used as a weapon, it can be very beneficial when properly harnessed. Utilizing nuclear energy is the most efficient way to produce the most power with the least amount of fuel. Nuclear energy is also the cleanest form of generating power since it gives off zero carbon emissions. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, The U.S. avoided more than 16,000 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions between 1995 and 2018 thanks to Nuclear energy. (https://www.nei.org/resources/statistics/emissions-avoided-by-us-nuclear-industry ) The only dangers nuclear power plants pose are the radioactive waste produced by them and the risk of human error causing an accident. (Both the Chernobyl and Fukushima incidents were caused by human error) As long as the small amount of radioactive waste produced by these reactors is safely contained (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoy_WJ3mE50 ) and the nuclear power plants are operating within safety guidelines, nuclear power is the most efficient source of clean energy today.
Also, President Biden set a goal that America will become 100% carbon neutral by 2050. As we do not have the technology that would allow us to transition to full reliance on renewable energy at the moment, I believe that nuclear power can act as the bridge to allow us to reduce fossil fuel dependency while we develop the infrastructure that will allow us to move to 100% sustainable energy by 2050.