Hi there! As I promised two days ago, today we will be talking about nuclear power, an energy source with lots of potential yet surrounded by misconceptions. 

Nuclear power sounds super complex and sci-fi-movie adjacent, but it’s simple if you really think about it. Nuclear energy is created through a process called nuclear fission, where the nucleus (the center of an atom where the large particles called neutrons are) of an atom is split into two, releasing vast amounts of energy. 

This process is typically done with uranium, because it is highly unstable and splits easily. One neutron is blasted at a uranium atom’s nucleus, causing it to release its neutrons, which then collide with other uranium atoms to release even more neutrons, creating a chain reaction. 

Each time this occurs, energy in the form of heat is released, which can then be harnessed as electricity. 

Nuclear fission is just about 100% clean, producing no air pollution or CO2. Nuclear energy saves more than 471 million metric tons of carbon from entering the atmosphere, which is the equivalent of taking 100 million cars off the road. 

However, extracting uranium and building nuclear reactors does require large amounts of energy, something that needs to be fixed if we choose to move forward with using nuclear power. 

Right now, nuclear power is greatly expanding, making up almost half of the United States’ renewable energy. Unlike solar and wind, it doesn’t rely on seasons, and it can be used anywhere, unlike geothermal. 

I’m sure that one of the biggest concerns you may have about nuclear power is the potential for nuclear meltdowns, like the ones that occurred at Fukushima, Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. These occurred for a variety of reasons ranging from natural disasters to human error.

The reason that nuclear meltdowns are so concerning is because they leave an impact far beyond the original disaster. Radiation lingers for thousands of years, as places like Chernobyl still remain contaminated today. 

However, there are new technologies that are making the production of nuclear power safer, including relying on gravity instead of computer systems to cool a reactor in the case of a meltdown. These new nuclear reactors, which could be under construction by 2030, will also produce far less nuclear waste, increasing their appeal. 

This brings me to the next concern: the creation of radioactive waste. However, if you think about it in terms of how much bang you are getting for your buck, radioactive waste seems more manageable. You can produce vast amounts of energy and only create a little bit of nuclear waste, which is far more efficient than the pollution created through the use of fossil fuels.

In fact, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “nuclear power could meet the average American’s lifetime energy needs with an amount of fuel that would fit in a soda can.”

There are also different levels of nuclear waste, and the majority of it has very low radioactive levels. It also is disposed of extremely carefully, with special regulations.

I’m not saying nuclear power is necessarily the way to go. It’s definitely the most dangerous of all forms of renewable energy, but it also comes with many benefits. High risk, high reward.

It’s up to you to decide if nuclear energy is a solution you believe in. I definitely understand why it can be scary, but hopefully you now realize that it’s not just some movie magic. Nuclear power is a real possibility though it has real consequences. Anyway, that’s all for today, tune in tomorrow to learn about tidal energy!

Elena