Any source of energy that is used in the place of the fossil fuel is referred as an alternative energy. The introduction of the alternative sources is intended to help and address some of the concerns brought by the use of the fossils. One main concern is the limiting supply of gas coal and oil. Use of fossil fuel has also resulted in the production of greenhouses gases, which are known to destroy the ozone layer increasing trend in global warming.
Some of these alternative sources include biomass from organic matter, solar energy from the sun, biodiesel, wind energy, hydropower, geothermal and the nuclear power. Nuclear energy is mainly produced when atoms of elements such as uranium that are radioactive split. The splitting produces heat that is ultimately used to produce electricity. It is estimated that there is enough raw materials on earth to produce nuclear power for thousands of years. Compared with the diminishing fossil fuel, these findings are a source of hope for a continued supply of energy (GlobalEd).
The use of nuclear energy is associated with numerous benefits. The first one is the fact that it offers a clean alternative of energy source. This is because the power plants have no pollutants released to the environment through emissions such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide or sulfur dioxide. These byproducts are very harmful both to the environment, as well as living in the environment. Others such as carbon dioxide have effect to global warming through the depletion of the ozone layer as a greenhouse gas. Sulfur dioxide causes irritation to the lungs while nitrogen oxide may cause asthmatic conditions. The nuclear plants also provide quality water that is not harmful to the aquatic life conservation. The energy production through nuclear is of low cost, with stable prices and is highly predictable. The plants also have long operational time. The nuclear waste is also well cared for and thus poses no danger to the ecosystems (The Franklin Institute).
However, the use of nuclear energy has disadvantages. There is the possibility that the nuclear energy material may be used wrongly to make weapons. There is also a possibility that a meltdown may occur which is very devastating leading to loss of life and damage to the environment. There is also a possibility of radioactive fallout, where the particles released to the atmosphere fall back to the surface of the earth and contaminate water or soil. There is also production of nuclear wastes from the reactors which are very toxic to the environment if not handled carefully. The nuclear waste is not thrown away in a similar way like the other kinds of garbage, but special facilities are needed in order to keep the waste safe and for a long time. Although there are very tight safety procedures that are followed in nuclear plants, the risk of an accident is still possible. There are significant downsides in the expansion of the nuclear power plants (GlobalEd).
The use of nuclear energy is affected by four main problems, cost, proliferation risk, safety and waste disposal. The future of nuclear power is aimed at having an expanded nuclear energy industry by choosing the type of fuel, type of reactors, as well as the method of waste disposal. There is a strong relation between nuclear chemistry and pros and cons of nuclear power since the industry uses the chemistry behind the nuclear fission to produce electricity. The improvement of the process will also enhance the advantages of using nuclear energy and reduce the challenges behind its use.
Works Cited
GlobalEd. Alternative Energy Sources: Is Nuclear Energy the Ultimate Solution? Vers. http://www.globaled.uconn.edu/GlobalEdI/Spring08/GE_07_middle_school_final.htm. 2013. 26 April 2013.
The Franklin Institute. The Benefits of Nuclear Energy. Vers. http://www.fi.edu/guide/wester/benefits.html. 2013. 26 April 2013.
