Can nuclear power stop climate change?

Nuclear power has remained one of the most interesting and debatable topics when it comes to the ways we can stop climate change or preventing the Earth from becoming more heated. Unlike the other renewable sources of energy like Wind and Solar, Nuclear power carries with it a considerable amount of fear and hesitation among those who vehement oppose it. Unfortunately, many governments around the world have taken to that fear and are shutting down their nuclear power plants at a steady rate.

However, while there's a kind of understandable hesitation among the denouncers regarding some of the current limitations of nuclear power, there are a number of advantages that put nuclear energy at the forefront of the steps to take in order to stop climate change. So what exactly are these advantages of nuclear energy and how can it help minimize further carbonization? Let's dive into it all here!

How Nuclear Power Can Help Fix Climate Change

One of the biggest culprits of climate change is the ridiculous amount of CO² that countries emit into the atmosphere at a concerning rate. Most of this CO² emission happens thanks to the fossil fuel consumption that goes into generating electricity. However, Nuclear Power is one of the most efficient sources of energy with zero carbon emissions, making it one of the most green options out there.

Nuclear power works faster than most of the other sources of engery generation. Apart from being carbon-free, nuclear power produce energy at an exponentially greater pace than renewables. However, perhaps the biggest factor to take into account here is the climate change. Nuclear power is green and there are no CO² emissions that are the biggest perpetrators of global warming. There are some waste hazards that need new research and efforts to diminish but the overall climatological impact of nuclear power is positive.

Another one of the positives that put Nuclear ahead of other energy sources is the relative safety in and around the process. Although there have been some major headlines-making nuclear accidents, the track record of nuclear is vastly better than renewables and fossils. While fossil fuels do not only adversely impact the climate but also result in millions of deaths per year, nuclear has a significantly better record when it comes to mortalities, which, in most of the nuclear disasters occured because of management errors and governmental incompetence.

Contentions to Nuclear Power and Counterpoints

Renewable sources of energy generation are one of the biggest points that are brought up in contention to the use of nuclear power. The renewables are efficient and green, and with the recent advances are becoming more and more desirable options for energy. However, renewable sources are not the solutions for our energy issues we seek currently. While renewables are a great and the most ideal sources, they can't be used to meet the current amount of energy we require to run everything from appliances to industries.

One major drawback of renewables is that in order to meet the growing energy demands, they would require vast amount of lands that we simply can't afford to allocate. Doing so would deprive the wildlife of their habitat and many renewable sources do threaten wildlife in various ways. Another major drawback of renewables is that they suffer from what's called "Production Variability".

Another roadblock in the road for nuclear power is the economic factor. Although once installed, nuclear plants are not really that expensive to run, the initial investment into the plants is another ballgame. The investors hesitate from making such high investments for returns that take a long time to happen. However, many argue that nuclear power shouldn't be approached with a money-making mindset like that, for the overwhelming positives for the climate that the nuclear power possesses, it should be a no-brainer to go for it and start investing in new research and improvements in tbe field.

Published on: Tuesday, May 24, 2022, 04:48 PM IST