Nuclear Energy is Safe and Clean Essay -- Power Plant Energy Safety

Abstract Nuclear energy is a promising source of electricity for the future. Although there are many people against it, it is only because many do not know of the progresses nuclear energy has made since it was started. Nuclear energy has become one of the cleanest sources of energy with minimum radiation. These are such small quantities that we receive only about .5 millirems of it yearly while nature sums it up to 360 millirems for the average person. Many of us shy away from nuclear energy due to fear caused by ignorance but with some patience and research one can realize the potential that nuclear power has and how it can shape a new era in the future. It is an energy source with massive amounts of energy as a byproduct of its fission and over the years we have acquired the technology not only to harness it but to make it a renewable resource as well to fast breeders. Nuclear power may seem like a heavy investment but it is a change much needed for the growing economy and dependence on el ectricity. Introduction Nuclear energy has proven itself to be a clean source of energy; yet, fear of radiation has kept its use from becoming more expansive. Nuclear energy is one of the newer types of energy sources used yet ignorance over the true dangers of nuclear energy causes the public to push away a potential energy source. Fear of radiation is illogical because everyone is exposed to background radiation every day. We receive radiation from cosmic rays, outer space, radon gas, and from naturally radioactive elements in the earth. Each year in the United States, the average dose to people from natural and man-made radiation sources is about 360 millirem.(mrem)(Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management) Millirems are units o... ...er types of breeder reactors are the LMFBR’s or the liquid metal fast breeder reactors. These reactors are either lead cooled or sodium cooled. These types of reactors place more emphasis in the fact that nuclear power has become safer and more efficient to where no matter the disadvantages the advantages greatly outnumber the costs of using nuclear energy. References Brain, Marshall. (2015) "How Nuclear Power Works" Web. 29 May 2015. http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm McCarthy, J. (2013) Web. 29 May 2015. http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/nuclear-faq.html Thomas, Steve. "The Economics of Nuclear Power." (2005) Web. 29 May 2015. http://www.nirs.org/c20/atommythen_thomas.pdf Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century. (2015) Web. 29 May 2015. http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=2984