the Question: Should we use nuclear power as an alternative energy source?
I'm personally leaning towards yes, but before i explain, I'll admit that i still know relatively little in terms of the subject. I'm not exactly what you'd call "an expert" on nuclear power (or any alternative energy for that matter).
Still, I believe ANY alternative energy would be better than what we have now. Nuclear power is much cleaner than our current fossil fuels. In comparsion to some of the other alternative sources, nuclear power yields far more energy. A single nuclear power plant could easily produce almost 5 times the amount of energy from a similarly-sized wind farm. So it's not only cleaner, but it's also quite cost-efficient.
The threat of a nuclear meltdown is greatly exaggerated. When it comes to nuclear power, or even the word "nuclear", the first thing most people imagine is the Hiroshima bomb, people getting cancer, or the meltdown at Chernobyl. But what most people don't realize is how much technology has improved since those events. Scientists are still finding ways to make nuclear power safer and safer. With today's nuclear containment technology, the chances of having one of these "nuclear leaks" are very slim. Now that doesn't mean they can't happen, but the fear of having such a meltdown is still mostly irrational.
After considering plenty of other energy sources, i still believe that nuclear power is one of the best choices. Again, it's cost-efficient, it's got good potential, it's been very well-researched, and best of all, it's not nearly as demanding on the environment. That's what i like about nuclear power.
Coal and fossil fuels pollute the air, fill the skies with smog, and promote global warming. Hydroelectric dams are inefficient and responsible for disrupting river ecosystems. Wind farms serve as death traps to birds. And worst of all, there's ethanol. Ethanol has got to be one of the worst possible schemes on this planet.
Anyways, that's a different story.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
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