The Nuclear Power Debate
Nuclear power. The simple mention of one of the most controversial energy sources likely conjures up thoughts of the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters or images of the devastation caused by atomic bombs. Despite the negative fanfare, nuclear power is often cited as one of the most promising middle-term solutions for the energy crisis from a carbon neutrality perspective. This week, we discuss the pros and cons to nuclear power and the implications it has for the future of sustainable energy.
The concerns of nuclear power
Concerns surrounding nuclear disasters are for good reason. The Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents both caused high levels of radiation to enter the surrounding area, polluting land, water, and air at levels unsafe for human life. Estimates for premature deaths attributable to the Chernobyl disaster range from 4,000 to 60,000, a staggering number in any case; after the Fukushima disaster, 111,000 people were forced to leave the area. These salient occurrences help drive the public’s sentiment on nuclear power, creating fear.
Besides direct deaths or injuries, nuclear power creates radioactive waste as its primary byproduct of energy production. Storing this waste has proven to be one of the greatest controversies. Besides the acute issue of creating effective storage containers for radiation emissions, the site at which the waste is stored must convey a message of danger that will outlast near-term civilization, as the waste will continue to emit harmful radiation for generations to come. More on the storage problem can be learned in this video.
An alternative to fossil fuels
Despite these concerns, some experts argue that nuclear power provides a medium-term solution to the growing carbon emission problem. During normal operations, experts cite advantages including no impact to global climate change through carbon emissions, less land use, lower volume of solid waste output, and extreme efficiency in producing energy versus fossil fuels.
Nuclear power regulation
Regulation is the final, and arguably largest, piece holding back nuclear progress. Joe Lassiter, Harvard Business School Professor and Faculty Chair of Harvard's Innovation Lab, cites outdated regulation as one of the two driving forces holding back nuclear progress.
From the standpoint of the general public, it is logical to see why nuclear disasters would be sensationalized. The availability heuristic, or the ease with which examples of an event come to mind, lead one to make snap judgements about the likelihood of an event occurring. Chernobyl and Fukushima are both salient examples of nuclear disasters, leading to knee-jerk negative reactions about the prospect of nuclear energy. This same phenomenon leads people to be fearful of plane crashes that make the front page of all major news sources, though in reality automobile accidents lead to far more deaths each year.
Nuclear power as a middle-term solution
While the solution for a truly safe carbon neutral power source has not yet been developed, existing alternatives to fossil fuels provide improvements to the power system with nuclear power being one of the most viable. As a stepping stone for progress, nuclear could provide a middle-term solution to a larger and more pressing issue, but it is not to be adopted without proper consideration for the real risks it poses.
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