Why nuclear energy is better then burning fossil fuels
In our time in day energy is one of most prized things in our society. For over 200 years we have been burning fossil fuels in order to fulfill our need to use energy. However after years of burning these fossil fuels, the waste from this process have cause lots of pollution to spill out into the air. In order for Canada to find a quick way to stop these green house gases we have turned to nuclear energy. This issue of deciding whether to change energy sources affects everybody, everyone needs to think about the consequences of using nuclear power a green energy source or keeping our old way of burning fossil fuels. The CANDU or Canadian deuterium uranium reactor is one of the reactors running in canada today, it is also one of the safest in the world. In canada there are many places that are already using nuclear reactors such as ontario that has over 15 reactors, there are also a couple reactors in Quebec and New Brunswick. One of the first nuclear plants built in canada was the Douglas Point nuclear generating station, in was located between Port Elgin and Kincardine on Lake Huron in Ontario. This nuclear plant operated for 18 years form 1968-1984. Canada has now in its 40th year of have nuclear power plants. The process of nuclear fission leaves no pollution, creates a million times more energy and after the initial cost of building reactors generating energy in the reactors is the cheapest way to acquire energy. The only downside to nuclear energy is storing the nuclear waste. For all these reasons nuclear energy is something that canada should use as a primary energy source of energy instead of burning fossil fuels.
For those of you that don't know what nuclear energy is, it is the process of using chain reaction of nuclear fission to create heat and turn turbines. In most reactors uranium 235 is used to create the energy. Uranium 235 has special properties when hit with a neutron it fissions and creates energy along with 2 neutrons that go on and hits other atoms of Uranium 235 and creates more energy and neutrons. This chain reaction is what can create energy in a nuclear reactor. The energy is heat and this heat turns water into hot steam that turns turbines generating energy. In order to control the reaction so it doesn't become out of control, elements that absorb neutrons are used that can stop the reaction almost immediately. The Uranium is stored in metal balls that are contained in metal rods. After the reaction is completed the waste from the reactions are contained within the metal tubes a compact storage system. These rods have radioactive material inside so they must be cooled in cold water at all times and stored in think concrete chambers sometimes below ground level. Each time this process is done it creates 12.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. This is how nuclear energy is created.
As stated before Canada is facing a problem, burning fossil fuels in no longer an option it causes too much pollution. For this reason nuclear energy is a great alternative to burning fossil fuels. When you burn fossil fuels all sorts of green house gases are released into the air along with solid waste. However the process of nuclear fission creates no harmful gases or things that harm the environment. The only waste nuclear fission creates that is released into the air is water vapor. The radioactive rods are safely contained else where where they will never harm people. Looking at this makes it simple to see which one is better. To solve the problem of over pollution an easy fix is to stop burning fossil fuels and use nuclear energy.
Another problem with burning fossil fuels is the low amount of energy it creates only about 1.7 watts/hr per gram of coal. Each gram of coal also produces pollution. Nuclear fission creates much more energy millions of times more. We could take away 100's of coal factories for serval nuclear reactors. Nuclear fission is a much more efficient way to create energy then burning coal. All the energy wasted in burning coal is ridicules sometimes not even half of the heat can be converted to energy. Nuclear fission however uses all of the heat to create energy.
The final reason nuclear energy is better than burning fossil fuels is that the long term costs are lower once the reactors are built. In less developed countries it makes sense to burn coal because it is very cheap to purchase and build factors to burn coal. However that is only for a short amount of time. Reactors may take lots of money to build, but once they are up the energy they can make through fission is remarkably more then burning coal. Generating electricity in nuclear reactors is cheaper than electricity generating from oil, gas and coal, not to speak of the renewable energy sources! In the long run building a nuclear power plant, costs less, runs better, creates more energy and doesn't pollute.
All and all Nuclear energy seems like a good alternative to burning fossils fuels and ruining our beautiful country. Canada should switch from burning fossil fuels to generating electricity through nuclear power plants. It leaves no air pollution and its solid waste can be stored away compactly, it generates much more energy, and it is more cost effective. These are the reasons why canada should become more green and switch to using nuclear energy.
For those of you that don't know what nuclear energy is, it is the process of using chain reaction of nuclear fission to create heat and turn turbines. In most reactors uranium 235 is used to create the energy. Uranium 235 has special properties when hit with a neutron it fissions and creates energy along with 2 neutrons that go on and hits other atoms of Uranium 235 and creates more energy and neutrons. This chain reaction is what can create energy in a nuclear reactor. The energy is heat and this heat turns water into hot steam that turns turbines generating energy. In order to control the reaction so it doesn't become out of control, elements that absorb neutrons are used that can stop the reaction almost immediately. The Uranium is stored in metal balls that are contained in metal rods. After the reaction is completed the waste from the reactions are contained within the metal tubes a compact storage system. These rods have radioactive material inside so they must be cooled in cold water at all times and stored in think concrete chambers sometimes below ground level. Each time this process is done it creates 12.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. This is how nuclear energy is created.
As stated before Canada is facing a problem, burning fossil fuels in no longer an option it causes too much pollution. For this reason nuclear energy is a great alternative to burning fossil fuels. When you burn fossil fuels all sorts of green house gases are released into the air along with solid waste. However the process of nuclear fission creates no harmful gases or things that harm the environment. The only waste nuclear fission creates that is released into the air is water vapor. The radioactive rods are safely contained else where where they will never harm people. Looking at this makes it simple to see which one is better. To solve the problem of over pollution an easy fix is to stop burning fossil fuels and use nuclear energy.
Another problem with burning fossil fuels is the low amount of energy it creates only about 1.7 watts/hr per gram of coal. Each gram of coal also produces pollution. Nuclear fission creates much more energy millions of times more. We could take away 100's of coal factories for serval nuclear reactors. Nuclear fission is a much more efficient way to create energy then burning coal. All the energy wasted in burning coal is ridicules sometimes not even half of the heat can be converted to energy. Nuclear fission however uses all of the heat to create energy.
The final reason nuclear energy is better than burning fossil fuels is that the long term costs are lower once the reactors are built. In less developed countries it makes sense to burn coal because it is very cheap to purchase and build factors to burn coal. However that is only for a short amount of time. Reactors may take lots of money to build, but once they are up the energy they can make through fission is remarkably more then burning coal. Generating electricity in nuclear reactors is cheaper than electricity generating from oil, gas and coal, not to speak of the renewable energy sources! In the long run building a nuclear power plant, costs less, runs better, creates more energy and doesn't pollute.
All and all Nuclear energy seems like a good alternative to burning fossils fuels and ruining our beautiful country. Canada should switch from burning fossil fuels to generating electricity through nuclear power plants. It leaves no air pollution and its solid waste can be stored away compactly, it generates much more energy, and it is more cost effective. These are the reasons why canada should become more green and switch to using nuclear energy.